Managing multiple display surfaces

• US 20090167633A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,196,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for managing multiple overlapping electronic displays are disclosed, including the electronic displays of electronic paper, electronic books, computer monitors, and other electronic display devices. In one embodiment, a method includes sensing an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location, determining a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location, and displaying within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display a highest priority information from among first and second information.

Claims

1. An electronic display apparatus, comprising:

a first display configured to display a first information;

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one other display device relative to the first display; and

a processing component operatively coupled to the first display and the one or more sensors and configured to;

determine an overlap area of the first display and the at least one other display device relative to a specified view location;

determine from among the first display and the at least one other display device a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location; and

operatively communicate with the at least one other display device to cooperatively enable to be displayed within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display a highest priority information from among the first information and other information displayed by the at least one other display device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to determine the highest priority information from among the first information and other information displayed by the at least one other display device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense a position indicium of the at least one other display device, and wherein the processing component is configured to determine the overlap area using the position indicium.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information includes a plurality of regions of differing priority, and wherein the processing component is further configured to:

determine a priority ranking of the plurality of regions; and

re-position at least some of the plurality of regions within an un-obscured portion of the first display based on the priority ranking.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one other display device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to at least one of:

receive at least a portion of the highest priority information from the at least one other display device when the highest priority information is not the first information;

or provide at least a portion of the first information to the at least one other display device when the highest priority information is the first information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display or the at least one other display device comprises an electronic document, or a monitor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display or the at least one other display device comprises an electronic paper device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to:

determine a highest priority area associated with the highest priority information, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

operatively communicate with the at least one other display device to cooperatively enable to be displayed within the highest priority area of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display the highest priority information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to determine the overlap area using a first orientation indicium relating to the first display and a second orientation indicium relating to the at least one other display.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first display is rotated with respect to the at least one other display device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing component is further configured to:

determine a highest priority area associated with the highest priority information, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

cause to be displayed within the highest priority area of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display the highest priority information.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are coupled to the first display.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are distal from the first display.

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

17. A system for electronically displaying information, comprising:

a first display configured to display a first information;

a second display configured to display a second information;

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of the first or second displays relative to another of the first and second displays; and

at least one processing component operatively coupled to the first and second displays and to the one or more sensors, and being configured to;

determine an overlap area of the first and second displays relative to a specified view location;

determine a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location from among the first and second displays;

determine a highest priority information from among the first and second information; and

control the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within an overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense at least one of position or orientation indicia of at least one of the first or second displays, and wherein the at least one processing component is configured to determine the overlap area using the at least one of the position or orientation indicia.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor operatively associated with the first display and at least one sensor operatively associated with the second display.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing component includes a first processing component operatively coupled to the first display, and a second processing component operatively coupled to the second display, each of the first and second processing components being configured to operatively communicate with another of the first and second processing components.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second processing components is configured to wirelessly communicate with another of the first and second processing components.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first processing component is further configured to at least one of:

receive at least a portion the highest priority information from the second processing component when the highest priority information is not the first information;

or

provide at least a portion of the first information to the second processing component when the highest priority information is the first information.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to:

determine a subset of the overlap area associated with the highest priority information; and

control the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within the subset of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the first information includes a plurality of regions of differing priority, and wherein the first processing component is further configured to:

determine a priority ranking of the plurality of regions; and

re-position at least some of the plurality of regions within an un-obscured portion of the first display based on the priority ranking.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first display or the second display comprises an electronic paper device.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors are distal from the first and second displays.

27. A method of operating displays, comprising:

sensing an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location;

determining a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location; and

displaying within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display a highest priority information from among first and second information displayable on the first and second displays, respectively.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining an overlap area includes sensing a position indicium associated with at least one of the first and second displays, and determining the overlap area using the position indicium.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the first information includes a plurality of regions of differing priority, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a priority ranking of the plurality of regions; and

re-positioning at least some of the plurality of regions within an un-obscured portion of the first display based on the priority ranking.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein displaying within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display includes receiving at least a portion of the highest priority information from a display other than the nearest unobstructed display.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining a highest priority area associated with displaying the highest priority information on the nearest unobstructed display, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

wherein displaying within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display includes displaying tie highest priority information within a highest priority area of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the first display is rotated with respect to the second display, and wherein determining an overlap area includes determining the overlap area using a first orientation indicium relating to the first display and a second orientation indicium relating to the second display.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of the first display or the second display comprises an electronic paper device.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein sensing an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location includes sensing an overlap area using one or more sensors distally located from the first and second displays.

29. (canceled)

36. A method of operating multiple displays, comprising:

determining an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location;

determining from among the first and second displays a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location;

determining a highest priority information from among a first information displayable on the first display and a second information displayable on the second display; and

controlling the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining a highest priority area associated with displaying the highest priority information within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

wherein controlling the nearest unobstructed display includes controlling the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within the highest priority area of the overlap area.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein determining an overlap area includes sensing at least one position indicium corresponding to at least one of the first or second displays, and determining the overlap area using the at least one position indicium.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the first information includes a plurality of regions of differing priority, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a priority ranking of the plurality of regions; and

re-positioning at least some of the plurality of regions within all un-obscured portion of the first display based on the priority ranking.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the first display or the second display comprises an electronic paper device.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein determining an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location includes sensing an overlap area using one or more sensors distally located from the first and second displays.

42. (canceled)

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63. A method of operating multiple displays, comprising:

determining an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location;

determining from among the first and second displays a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location;

determining an obstructed display from among the first and second displays, the obstructed display displaying a plurality of regions of differing priority;

determining a priority ranking of the plurality of regions; and

re-positioning at least some of the plurality of regions within an un-obscured portion of the other of the first and second displays based on the priority ranking.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising:

determining a highest priority information from among a first information displayable on the first display and a second information displayable on the second display; and

controlling the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

determining a highest priority area associated with displaying the highest priority information within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

wherein controlling the nearest unobstructed display includes controlling the nearest unobstructed display to display at least a portion of the highest priority information within the highest priority area of the overlap area.

66. The method of claim 63, wherein determining an overlap area includes sensing at least one position indicium corresponding to at least one of the first or second displays, and determining the overlap area using the at least one position indicium.

67. The method of claim 63, wherein at least one of the first display or the second display comprises an electronic paper device.

68. The method of claim 63, wherein determining an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location includes sensing an overlap area using one or more sensors distally located from the first and second displays.