DYNAMICALLY DETERMINING WORKSPACE BOUNDS DURING A COLLABORATION SESSION

• US 20150277656A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dere, Colin, Rounding, Kathryn, Manarang, Elmar, Arnoldin, Erica
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method is described for dynamically determining session boundary coordinates within a canvas. As described, an initial explored area of the canvas is defined. The initial explored area is expanded. When the size of the expanded explored area of the canvas reaches a predefined maximum size, the explored area coordinates are set as the session boundary coordinates. A computing device and a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions configured to implement the method are also described.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically determining session boundary coordinates within a canvas, the method comprising:

determining an initial explored area of the canvas;

expanding the initial explored area; and

when the size of the expanded explored area of the canvas reaches a predefined maximum size, setting the explored area coordinates as the session boundary coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial explored area is expanded in response to one or more participants adjusting their view to include previously unexplored areas of the canvas.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising inhibiting the one or more participants from adjusting their view beyond the session boundary coordinates.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the canvas is provided in a collaborative workspace for access by the one or more participants.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the session boundary coordinates are deleted upon termination of a session.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein annotations created by the one or more participants during the session are stored in memory upon the termination of the session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial explored area is defined based on a greatest resolution of one or more computing devices likely to access the canvas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial explored area is defined dynamically based on the resolution of one or more computing devices accessing the canvas.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the initial explored area is defined based on a position of the annotations stored in memory from a previous session.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine an initial explored area of the canvas;

expand the initial explored area; and

when the size of the expanded explored area of the canvas reaches a predefined maximum size, set the explored area coordinates as the session boundary coordinates.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial explored area is expanded in response to one or more participants adjusting their view to include previously unexplored areas of the canvas.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising instructions to inhibit the one or more participants from adjusting their view beyond the session boundary coordinates.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the canvas is provided in a collaborative workspace for access by the one or more participants.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the session boundary coordinates are deleted upon termination of a session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein annotations created by the one or more participants during the session are stored in memory upon the termination of the session.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial explored area is defined based on a greatest resolution of one or more computing devices likely to access the canvas.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial explored area is defined dynamically based on the resolution of one or more computing devices accessing the canvas.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial explored area is defined based on a position of the annotations stored in memory from a previous session.

19. A computing device comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with other computing devices;

memory for storing instruction; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions, which cause the computing device to;

determine an initial explored area of the canvas;

expand the initial explored area; and

when the size of the expanded explored area of the canvas reaches a predefined maximum size, set the explored area coordinates as the session boundary coordinates.