SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GESTURE-BASED SHARING OF DATA BETWEEN SEPARATE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20140282106A1
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revvity Signals Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cambridgesoft Corporation (Perkinelmer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Biying, Smith, Robin, Gupta, Sunil Anant, Stapleton, Michael, Davis, Benjamin James, Hahn, Amy Annette, Shatsoff, Jordan Haneil, Wakefield, Joshua Benjamin, Frazier, Shadrack Cgar Sr., Graham, Brandon William Arther, Tremblay, Beau Guy, Kulkarni, Sonal Shashikant, Oberlin, Daniel, Nelson, Julie E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,412,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G16C 20/80 Data visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G16C 20/90 Programming languages; Computing architectures; Database systems; Data warehousing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Described herein are various embodiments of systems, methods, and apparatus that allow a user to share data, such as one or more files from within an application with one or more other (not necessarily co-located) computing devices using a gesture-based sharing function. In a particular example, systems, methods, and apparatus described herein may be used to share graphical representations of chemical structures within a chemical structure rendering application between two or more user devices. By offering a user a quick and visually intuitive option for sharing a file with other user(s) without exiting a current application, the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein provide efficient and engaging tools for sharing work product in real time between two or more users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface, selection of at least one file for sharing with a separate computing device;

identifying, by a processor of a computing device, one or more members for sharing;

causing, by the processor, presentation of one or more graphical identifiers within a display area of the computing device, wherein each graphical identifier of the one or more graphical identifiers is representative of a respective member of the one or more members, wherein the one or more graphical identifiers represent at least a portion of the one or more members;

identifying, by the processor, a user input gesture indicative of moving the at least one file towards at least a first graphical identifier of the one or more graphical identifiers;

responsive to identifying the user input gesture,

causing, by the processor, presentation of a graphical representation of the at least one file moving towards the at least the first graphical identifier, and

issuing, by the processor, via a network, a request for data sharing, wherein

the request for data sharing comprises a member identifier associated with the first graphical identifier, and

the request for data sharing comprises information associated with the at least one file; and

receiving, via the network, responsive to the request for data sharing, an acknowledgment of data sharing, wherein the acknowledgment comprises the member identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving selection of the at least one file comprises identifying a user input gesture indicative of selection of the at least one file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more members for sharing comprises:

issuing, via the network, an availability request; and

responsive to the availability request, receiving indication of one or more member identifiers, wherein each member identifier of the one or more member identifiers is associated with a respective computing device executing a sharing application in communication with the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing presentation of the one or more graphical identifiers comprises, for each graphical identifier of the one or more graphical identifiers, causing presentation of at least one of a name, an icon, and an image associated with the respective member represented by the respective graphical identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more graphical identifiers are arranged radially surrounding a graphical representation of the at least one file.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein causing presentation of the one or more graphical identifiers comprises identifying the portion of the one or more members based at least in part on one or more of a frequency and a recency of file sharing with the computing device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein causing presentation of the one or more graphical identifiers comprises identifying the portion of the one or more members based at least in part on a determination of co-location of the computing device with respective computing devices of at least one of the portion of the one or more members.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein co-location is determined based in part upon near field communications.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein causing presentation of the one or more graphical identifiers comprises identifying selection of a particular group of users.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more members comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a printer, a television, a smart TV, a projector, a media player, and a facsimile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one file is selected within a software application; and

the method is performed by a sub-application configured to execute within the software application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sub-application is configured to execute within two or more software applications installed upon the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the user input gesture comprises identifying a sweeping gesture across a touch screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the at least one file moving towards at least the first graphical identifier comprises a spinning animation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the at least one file moving towards at least the first graphical identifier comprises a gradual size reduction.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one file comprises an identification of a network file location.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving the acknowledgment, causing presentation, within the display area, of a notification indicative of success of sharing.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the acknowledgement:

receiving, via the network, an alert regarding data availability, wherein the alert is associated with a modified version of a first file of the at least one file;

issuing, by the processor via the network, responsive to the alert, a request for the modified version of the first file;

receiving, via the network, the modified version of the first file, wherein the first file has been modified by a first member of the one or more members; and

causing presentation of the modified version of the first file within the display area.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein causing presentation of the modified version of the first file comprises causing presentation of an indication of the first member.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the alert comprises a session identifier; and

the request for the modified version of the first file comprises the session identifier.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, via a network from a first data share application installed on a first user computing device, a request for data share, wherein the request comprises at least one file and at least one target user;

determining, by a processor of a computing device, an identification of a second user computing device, wherein the second user computing device is associated with a first target user of the at least one target user;

issuing, by the processor, via the network, an alert to the target user regarding data availability, wherein the alert is issued through a second sharing application installed on a second user computing device;

responsive to the alert, receiving, from the second user computing device, a request for available data; and

responsive to the request for available data,

retrieving, by the processor, the at least one file, and

providing, via the network, the at least one file, wherein the at least one file is provided to the second sharing application.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising, prior to receiving the request for data share:

receiving, via the network from the first data share application, a request to identify members available for sharing; and

identifying, by the processor, one or more members available for sharing, wherein each member of the one or more members are associated with a user of the first user computing device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein

the sharing application comprises a sub-application in communication with a software application;

and

identifying the one or more members for sharing comprises identifying respective ability of each computing device associated with the one or more member identifiers to view a file type associated with the software application.

24. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, via a user interface, selection of at least one file for sharing with a separate computing device;

identify one or more members for sharing;

cause presentation of one or more graphical identifiers within a display area of the computing device, wherein each graphical identifier of the one or more graphical identifiers is representative of a respective member of the one or more members, wherein the one or more graphical identifiers represent at least a portion of the one or more members;

identify a user input gesture indicative of moving the at least one file towards at least a first graphical identifier of the one or more graphical identifiers;

responsive to identifying the user input gesture,

cause presentation of a graphical representation of the at least one file moving towards the at least the first graphical identifier, and

issue, via a network, a request for data sharing, wherein

the request for data sharing comprises a member identifier associated with the first graphical identifier, and

the request for data sharing comprises information associated with the at least one file; and

receive, via the network, responsive to the request for data sharing, an acknowledgment of data sharing, wherein the acknowledgment comprises the member identifier.

25. (canceled)

26. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, via a network from a first data share application installed on a first user computing device, a request for data share, wherein the request comprises at least one file and at least one target user;

determine an identification of a second user computing device, wherein the second user computing device is associated with a first target user of the at least one target user;

issue, via the network, an alert to the target user regarding data availability, wherein the alert is issued through a second sharing application installed on a second user computing device;

responsive to the alert, receive, from the second user computing device, a request for available data; and

responsive to the request for available data,

retrieve the at least one file, and

provide, via the network, the at least one file, wherein the at least one file is provided to the second sharing application.

27. (canceled)