RECONFIGURABLE MULTIPLE-PLANE COMPUTER DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20120092234A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pleyer, Sven, Cluts, Jonathan C., Baumert, David William, Trooskin-Zoller, David Ethan, Lee, Johnny H.
• Application Number:
  US12/904,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

A reconfigurable multiple-plane computer display system and method for repositioning computer displays with respect to each other. Embodiments of the system and method include using at least two computer displays that move relative to each other and are anchored in the same data space. Some displays may be fixed, but at least one of the displays is movable relative to other displays in the system. The displays are anchored to each other in data space, meaning that each display shows interesting data that is somehow tied or related to the information being displayed on the other displays. Embodiments of the system and method include displays that may be capable of actively displaying information on it own (active) or that has no way of displaying information on its own (passive). In addition, a display may include a positioning device to sense its location and display data based on that location.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable multiple-plane display system, comprising a first computer display and a second computer display that move relative to each other and are anchored with respect to each other in a data space.

2. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising moving the first computer display relative to the second computer display while the first computer display is fixed.

3. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising moving both the first computer display and the second computer display relative to each other.

4. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising having the first computer display be a passive display that is projected upon and has no way of displaying information on its own and the second display be an active display that actively displays information on its own.

5. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising having the first display and the second display be active displays that actively display information on their own.

6. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising having the first display and second display be passive displays that are projected upon and have no way of displaying information on their own.

7. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising having the first display and second display be passive displays that are projected upon and have no way of displaying information on their own.

8. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first processor contained in the first display, which is an active display; and

a second processor contained in the second display, which is an active display.

9. The reconfigurable multiple-plane display system of claim 8 further comprising:

a first location system contained in the first display such that the first location system can find a location of the first display in a physical volume space; and

a second location system contained in the second display such that second location system can find a location of the second display in the physical volume space.

10. A method for reconfiguring computer displays with respect to each other, comprising:

positioning a first computer display in a first location in a physical volume space;

positioning a second computer display in a second location in the physical volume space;

displaying a first set of data on a first computer display that is located in a physical volume space; and

repositioning the second display in a third location in the physical volume space based on the first set of data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

defining a coordinate system in the physical volume space that includes both the first computer display and the second computer display; and

positioning the first computer display and the second computer display using the coordinate system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying a second set of data on the second computer display that is anchored in data space to the first set of data such that the first set of data is related and dependent on the second set of data and vice versa.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying a third set of data on the second computer display corresponding to the third location after the second computer display has been repositioned in the third location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising anchoring in data space the third set of data to the first set of data such that the first set of data is related and dependent on the third set of data and vice versa.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising repositioning the second display in a fourth location in the physical volume space based on the first set of data and the third set of data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying a fourth set of data on the second computer display corresponding to the fourth location after the second computer display has been repositioned in the fourth location.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising anchoring in data space the fourth set of data to the first set of data such that the first set of data is related and dependent on the fourth set of data and vice versa.

18. A reconfigurable multiple-plane computer display system, comprising:

a plurality of fixed computer displays positioned in a three-dimensional physical volume space;

a first computer display from the plurality of fixed computer displays positioned at a first position in the three-dimensional physical volume space;

a plurality of movable computer displays positioned in the three-dimensional physical volume space;

a second computer display from the plurality of movable computer displays positioned at a second position in the three-dimensional physical volume space that moves relative to the first computer display;

a first set of data displayed on the first computer display that is dependent on the first position; and

a second set of data displayed on the second computer display that is dependent on the second position and the first set of data and the second set of data being anchored in the same data space.

19. The reconfigurable multiple-plane computer display system of claim 18 further comprising a third set of data displayed on the second computer display corresponding to a third position in the three-dimensional physical volume space that is dependent on the third position and displays information associated with the third position.

20. The reconfigurable multiple-plane computer display system of claim 19 further comprising a fourth set of data displayed on the second computer display corresponding to a fourth position in the three-dimensional physical volume space that is dependent on the fourth position and displays information associated with the fourth position.