MULTIMEDIA, MULTIUSER SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20100194703A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T1V, Inc.
• Original Assignee: T1 Visions, LLC
• Inventors: FEDOR, Adam, Feldman, Michael R., Morris, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

A table system includes a touch screen integrated in a table top, a computer system in communication with the touch screen, the touch screen being configured to serve as a primary input to the computer and to display multiple active sections at different orientations corresponding to different seating locations on the table top simultaneously, and a secondary screen, located away from the touch screen, in communication with the computer system, the secondary screen being configured to continuously display media files stored on the computer system at a single orientation and to be viewed from the different seating locations simultaneous with use of the touch screen, the touch screen configured to display representations of media files to be displayed on the secondary screen and to serve as selection input for the media files.

Claims

1. A table system, comprising:

a touch screen integrated in a table top;

a computer system in communication with the touch screen, the touch screen being configured to serve as a primary input to the computer and to display multiple active sections at different orientations corresponding to different seating locations on the table top simultaneously; and

a secondary screen, located away from the touch screen, in communication with the computer system, the secondary screen being configured to continuously display media files stored on the computer system at a single orientation and to be viewed from the different seating locations simultaneous with use of the touch screen, the touch screen configured to display representations of media files to be displayed on the secondary screen and to serve as selection input for the media files.

2. The table system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a multi-processor computer having at least a first processor dedicated to display media files on the secondary screen and at least a second processor, different from the first processor, dedicated to the touch screen.

3. The table system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system is a single computer having a separate programming thread for playing media files on the secondary screen, the separate programming having a higher priority than operations of the touch screen other than touch detection in order to ensure continuous playing of media file on the secondary screen.

4. The table system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a first computer directly connected to the touch screen and a second computer directly connected to the secondary screen, the media files being stored on the second computer, wherein the first and second computers are in communication.

5. The table system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch screen is configured to serve as the input of the first computer and the first computer is configured to serve as the input of the second computer.

15. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen is configured as a single touch screen.

6. A multiuser, multi-interface computing surface, comprising:

a computer system; and

a touch screen adapted to serve as a primary input to the computer system, the touch screen divided into at least two simultaneously active sections having different orientations, touches in the at least two simultaneously active sections having independent effects on a display within the at least two simultaneously active sections, each simultaneously active section having an independent interface adapted to select independent applications in each simultaneously active section.

7. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch screen is integrated into a table top.

8. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer system is configured to:

perform a first action in response to a first touch in a first section of the touch screen; and

perform a second action in response to a second touch in a second section of the touch screen without affecting the first action, even when the first and second touches are nearly simultaneous.

9. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a third action in the first section in response to a third touch in the first section of the touch screen, the third action replacing the first action, but not affecting the second action.

10. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first touch is a gesture and the second touch is a tap, the tap occurring after the gesture begins but before the gesture is complete, the computer system being configured to complete the second action before completing the first action.

11. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first action includes navigating a menu and the second action includes a continuous action.

12. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 11, wherein the continuous action includes one of drawing and playing a game.

13. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein an action in response to a touch within a section is confined to that section.

14. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein the touch screen includes a control section configured to alter a number of sections displayed on the touch screen.

16. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer system is adapted to be in communication with a secondary screen to be viewed at a same orientation of all users of the touch screen.

17. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 16, wherein the computer system is adapted to continuously send media files to the secondary screen in response to a selection input through the touch screen.

18. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 17, wherein the touch screen is configured to be used for navigation and the secondary screen is configured to display the media files sent by the computer system.

19. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein a touch in a section rotates an orientation of that section.

20. The multiuser, multi-interface computing surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein a touch in a section plays a media file in that section.