COLONY DESKTOP HIVE DISPLAY: CREATING AN EXTENDED DESKTOP DISPLAY FROM MULTIPLE MOBILE DEVICES USING NEAR-FIELD OR OTHER NETWORKING

• US 20140253417A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Douglas S., Kelley, John F., Seager, Todd, Torres, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,858,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/2.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, computer program products and computer systems that create a virtual extended display on mobile devices by providing a first device in a first location and at least a second device in a second location, followed by joining together the first and second devices within an aggregation session via a network. Logical data of visual content is shared between the first and second devices, and the viewed output display of the visual content split amongst the first and second device displays within the aggregation session. During the aggregation session, at least one of the devices therein is manipulated by movement or changing device parameters to virtually change the viewed output display of the visual content on such manipulated device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a virtual extended display on mobile devices comprising:

providing a first device with a first device display in a first location;

providing at least a second device with a second device display in a second location;

logically joining the first and second devices together within an aggregation session via a network;

sharing logical data of visual content between the first and second devices, and splitting the viewed output display of said visual content amongst the first and second device displays within the aggregation session;

while the viewed output display is being split amongst the first and second device displays, manipulating at least one of the first or second devices during said aggregation session to virtually change the viewed output display of the visual content on said manipulated device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further including:

providing a plurality of devices each having a device display;

logically joining the plurality of devices within the aggregation session;

splitting the viewed output display of said visual content amongst the plurality of devices;

manipulating one or more of the plurality of devices during the aggregation session to virtually change the viewed output display of the visual content on said devices

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices comprise mobile devices.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the logical data of the visual content is stored within the first or second device, whereby said logical data is shared with the device not having the logical data stored therein.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the visual content resides on a surface area, the first and second devices are provided adjacent to said surface area for split viewing the output display of said visual content while allowing manipulation of said first or second device for virtually changing the viewed output display of the visual content on said manipulated device during the aggregation session.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the visual content resides on a surface area, at least one of said first or second devices is provided on said surface area for split viewing the output display of said visual content while allowing manipulation of said first or second device for virtually changing the viewed output display of the visual content on said manipulated device during the aggregation session.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the visual content is selected from the group consisting of an image, a video, a 1- or 2- or 3-dimensional object, a data file and a text document.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the aggregation session implements near-field communication technology for recognizing, sensing and logically joining the first and second devices together.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices physically contact each other during at least a portion of the aggregation session.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices are adjacent to each other without physically contacting each other during the aggregation session.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said manipulated device is manipulated by changing viewing features of the device display thereof to provide a different viewed output display of the visual content on said device being manipulated.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the changed viewing features are selected from the group consisting of image resolution, image scale, pixelation, magnification, shrinkage, image positioning, screen positioning, screen orientation, and image orientation.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said manipulated device is manipulated by moving said device to a different location within a matrix of the aggregation session to provide a different viewed output display of the visual content on said device being manipulated.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein said manipulated device is moved in an x,y-plane or in a z-plane.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein said manipulated device is moved in both an x,y-plane and a z-plane.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 further including adding or deleting additional devices to the aggregation session, and reconfiguring the viewed output display of the visual content based on all devices then existing within said aggregation session.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first and second device displays are rigid or flexible.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein selected of the method steps are implemented in a cloud-computing environment.

19. A computer program product for creating a virtual extended display on mobile devices, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to logically join together within an aggregation session via a network a first device with a first device display in a first location to a second device with a second device display in a second location;

second program instructions to share logical data of visual content between the first and second devices;

third program instructions to split the viewed output display of said visual content amongst the first and second device displays within the aggregation session; and

fourth program instructions to manipulate at least one of the first or second devices during said aggregation session to virtually change the viewed output display of the visual content on said device being manipulated, wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are all stored on the computer readable storage media.

20. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to logically join together within an aggregation session via a network a first device with a first device display in a first location to a second device with a second device display in a second location;

second program instructions to share logical data of visual content between the first and second devices;

third program instructions to split the viewed output display of said visual content amongst the first and second device displays within the aggregation session; and

fourth program instructions to manipulate at least one of the first or second devices during said aggregation session to virtually change the viewed output display of the visual content on said device being manipulated,

wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are all stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.