Collaboration System with Whiteboard With Federated Display

• US 20140223335A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearson, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A system for whiteboard collaboration utilizes an array of displays for a whiteboard canvas. The displays in the array being coupled with a computer system having a communication module and memory storing collaboration data for at least one collaboration having a collaboration space. The array has a display area mapped to corresponding area in the collaboration space. The collaboration data includes data structures identifying displayable objects and associating a location in the collaboration space with the objects identified by the data structures. The computer system includes a display client for each display in the array. Each display client is configured to manage display of a predetermined portion of the display area, and for receiving and transmitting messages related to global collaboration events and for receiving and transmitting messages related to local array events.

Claims

1. A system for whiteboard collaboration, comprising:

an array of displays, the displays in the array being coupled with a computer system having a communication module and memory storing collaboration data for at least one collaboration having a collaboration space, the collaboration data including data structures identifying displayable objects and associating a location in the collaboration space with the objects identified by the data structures;

the computer system including a display client for each display in the array, the array having a display area mapped to corresponding area in the collaboration space,

each display client being configured to manage display of a predetermined portion of the display area, and including a communication port for receiving and transmitting messages related to global collaboration events and for receiving and transmitting messages related to local array events, and including;

logic to identify objects in the collaboration data that map to the predetermined portion of the display area for the array, and to render the identified objects, and

logic to detect user input at the display client related to events that effect objects in the predetermined portion of the display area and transmit messages linked to the related events.

2. The system of claim 1, each display client including logic to transmit messages related to local array events on a channel directed to display clients in the array, and to transmit messages related to global collaboration events on a channel directed to display clients active in the collaboration.

3. The system of claim 1, including the collaboration data including a user location in the collaboration space, the user location being usable by the display clients to identify objects in the collaboration data within the respective predetermined portions of the display area.

4. A method for display management for whiteboard collaboration, comprising:

using an array of displays to display objects identified by collaboration data, the collaboration data including data structures identifying displayable objects and associating a location in the collaboration space with the objects identified by the data structures, the array having a display area mapped to corresponding area in the collaboration space;

executing a display client for each display in the array, each display client being configured to manage display of a predetermined portion of the display area, and receiving and transmitting messages related to global collaboration events and messages related to local array events, each display client;

identifying objects in the collaboration data that map to the predetermined portion of the display area for the array, and rendering the identified objects, and

detecting user input related to events that effect objects in the predetermined portion of the display area and transmitting messages linked to the related events.

5. The method of claim 4, each display client transmitting messages related to local array events on a channel directed to display clients in the array, and transmitting messages related to global collaboration events on a channel directed to display clients active in the collaboration.

6. The method of claim 5, the collaboration data including a user location in the collaboration space, the display clients using the user location to identify objects in the collaboration data within the respective predetermined portions of the display area.

7. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable data storage medium storing a computer program or programs executable by a computer system, the computer program or programs including:

a display client for an array of displays, the display client accessing collaboration data for at least one collaboration having a collaboration space, the collaboration data including data structures identifying displayable objects and associating a location in the collaboration space with the objects identified by the data structures;

the display client including;

logic to manage display of a predetermined portion of the display area, and for receiving and transmitting messages related to global collaboration events and for receiving and transmitting messages related to local array events;

logic to identify objects in the collaboration data that map to the predetermined portion of the display area for the array, and to render the identified objects, and logic to detect user input at the display client related to events that effect objects in the predetermined portion of the display area and transmit messages linked to the related events.