Returning passed objects in a surface based computing environment using a virtual bungee

• US 8,161,403 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D., Cannon, Ulysses Lamont, Chakra, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US11/951,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/750, 715/751, 715/753, 715/754, 715/755, 715/759, 715/758, 715/733, 715/738, 715/748, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention discloses a solution for a surface based computing device to return passed objects. That is, software of the surface based computing device can permit software objects appearing within a display of a surface based computing device to be passed among users positioned about the surface based computing device. The surface based computing device can also include software maintaining linkages between passed software objects and return positions defined for each of the passed software objects. Further software can be configured to automatically return at least one of the passed software objects from a current position on the display to an associated return position responsive to an occurrence of a return object event relating to that passed software object. Visual representation of the linkages can be optionally shown on the surface based computing device and the passing objects can be optionally animated.

Claims

1. A method for handling software objects within a surface based computing environment comprising:

presenting a plurality of different visual objects upon a surface based computing device that is a single interactive computing device comprising hardware and software that is concurrently utilized by a plurality of different users positioned about the surface based computing device, each of the different users directly interacting with the surface based computing device to effectuate changes;

passing the visual objects among the different users by moving the visual objects on a surface of the surface based computing device responsive to user interactions of any of the different users with the surface based computing device, wherein each passing of one of the visual objects alters a current position of the visual object on the surface of the surface based computing device but which does not alter a return point;

within software executing upon the surface based computing device maintaining an association between each of the visual objects displayed upon the surface based computing device at a current position and a return point, wherein for each of the visual objects, a data store of the surface based computing device indexes the object against an owner of the corresponding visual object, a possessor of the corresponding visual object, and the return point of the corresponding visual object, wherein the possessor and the owner recorded for the visual objects are one of the different users positioned about the surface based computing device;

detecting an occurrence of a return object event for one of the visual objects; and

automatically passing the visual object associated with the return object event from the current position to the return point associated with that visual object based upon the occurrence of the return object event, wherein the surface based computing device indexes at least a portion of the visual objects against a return event, wherein different types of return events are recorded in the data store of the surface based computing device for different ones of the visual objects, wherein the different types of return events associated with the visual objects comprise a duration based return event triggered when the duration expires, a return event triggered when possessor or owner of the visual object logs off from the surface based computing device, and a return event triggered by a possessor or owner of the visual object leaving a proximity necessary for directly interacting with the surface based computing device, wherein the return point represents a storage location external to the surface based computing device, and wherein the passing of one of the visual objects automatically removes the visual object from a user accessible storage location of the surface based computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for at least a portion of the visual objects, the possessor is a first one of the different users and wherein a corresponding owner of the visual object is a second one of the different users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface based computing device indexes at least a portion of the visual objects against a return event specific to that visual object, wherein at least a portion of the return events comprise a time value, and wherein the return point is an original position of the corresponding visual object, and wherein the return object event results from an expiration of a configurable duration, which is the time value indexed against that object within the return event, for which the corresponding visual object is permitted to remain in the current position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the passing step is an animated step, which show the software object traveling within a display of the surface based computing device between the current position and the return point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

showing a visual link upon a display of the surface based computing device between the return point and the software object when located at the current position.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing an interface option to hide the visual link.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said visual link is color coded to indicate a collaboration characteristic associated with the visual object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user entered command from at least one of the owner and the possessor wherein said user entered command initiates the return object event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic passing of the visual object to the return point automatically changes the indexed possessor of the visual object from one of the different users to another of the different users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

showing a visual link upon a display of the surface based computing device between the return point and the visual object when located at the current position; and

a defined time before the expiration, visually indicating by altering a presentation characteristic of the visual link that the established duration is about to expire.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a geographic position of the different users indicated as owners and possessors of the visual objects relative to a geographic position of the surface based computing device;

automatically detecting one of the different users that is an owner or possessor of one of the visual objects leaving an area proximate to the surface based computing device where an area proximate refers to an area necessary for directly interacting with the surface based computing device, wherein the return object event is initiated upon the detection.

12. A surface based computing device comprising computer hardware and software, said surface based computing device comprising:

software stored on at least one non-transitory storage medium that when executed by hardware presents a plurality of different visual objects upon a surface based computing device that is a single interactive computing device comprising hardware and software that is concurrently utilized by a plurality of different users positioned about the surface based computing device, each of the different users directly interacting with the surface based computing device to effectuate changes;

software stored on at least one non-transitory storage medium that when executed by hardware passes the visual objects among the different users by moving the visual objects on a surface of the surface based computing device responsive to user interactions of any of the different users with the surface based computing device, wherein each passing of one of the visual objects alters a current position of the visual object on the surface of the surface based computing device but which does not alter a return point;

software stored on at least one non-transitory storage medium that when executed by hardware maintains an association between each of the visual objects displayed upon the surface based computing device at a current position and a return point, wherein for each of the visual objects, a data store of the surface based computing device indexes the object against an owner of the corresponding visual object, a possessor of the corresponding visual object, and the return point of the corresponding visual object, wherein the possessor and the owner recorded for the visual objects are one of the different users positioned about the surface based computing device;

software stored on at least one non-transitory storage medium that when executed by hardware detects an occurrence of a return object event for one of the visual objects; and

software stored on at least one non-transitory storage medium that when executed by hardware automatically passes the visual object associated with the return object event from the current position to the return point associated with that visual object based upon the occurrence of the return object event, wherein the surface based computing device indexes at least a portion of the visual objects against a return event, wherein different types of return events are recorded in the data store of the surface based computing device for different ones of the visual objects, wherein the different types of return events associated with the visual objects comprise a duration based return event triggered when the duration expires, a return event triggered when possessor or owner of the visual object logs off from the surface based computing device, and a return event triggered by a possessor or owner of the visual object leaving a proximity necessary for directly interacting with the surface based computing device, wherein the return point represents a storage location external to the surface based computing device, and wherein the passing of one of the visual objects automatically removes the visual object from a user accessible storage location of the surface based computing device.

13. The surface based computing device of claim 12, wherein the software that maintains the linkages is configured to visually present a representation of the linkages upon the display to show which return points correspond to which passed software objects, wherein an option is provided to hide the representation of the linkages, and wherein the passing of the software objects is an animated process that shows the software objects traveling across the display, and wherein when shown, the linkages are animated to show cords expanding and contracting, wherein said cords are attached between the passed software objects and the corresponding return points.

14. The surface based computing device of claim 12, wherein the surface based computing device is a single interactive computing device comprising hardware and software that is operable to present the plurality of software objects upon the surface based computing device that is concurrently utilized by the users positioned about the surface based computing device, said surface based computing device comprising:

a data store comprising digitally encoded records, one per each of the software objects, wherein the records of the software objects indexes the objects against an owner of the corresponding software object, a possessor of the corresponding software object, the return point of the corresponding software object, and a return event, wherein the possessor and the owner recorded for the software are one of the users positioned about the surface based computing device, wherein different types of return events are recorded in the data store for different ones of the software objects, wherein the different types of return events associated with the software objects comprise the duration based return event triggered when the duration expires, the return event triggered when the possessor or owner of the software object logs off from the surface based computing device, and the return event triggered by a possessor or owner of the software object leaving a proximity necessary for directly interacting with the surface based computing device of the surface based computing device.

15. A computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable, tangible non-transitory storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to present a plurality of different visual objects upon a surface based computing device that is a single interactive computing device comprising hardware and software that is concurrently utilized by a plurality of different users positioned about the surface based computing device, each of the different users directly interacting with the surface based computing device to effectuate changes;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to pass the visual objects among the different users by moving the visual objects on a surface of the surface based computing device responsive to user interactions of any of the different users with the surface based computing device, wherein each passing of one of the visual objects alters a current position of the visual object on the surface of the surface based computing device but which does not alter a return point;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to maintain an association between each of the visual objects displayed upon the surface based computing device at a current position and a return point, wherein for each of the visual objects, a data store of the surface based computing device indexes the object against an owner of the corresponding visual object, a possessor of the corresponding visual object, and the return point of the corresponding visual object, wherein the possessor and the owner recorded for the visual objects are one of the different users positioned about the surface based computing device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to detect an occurrence of a return object event for one of the visual objects; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to automatically pass the visual object associated with the return object event from the current position to the return point associated with that visual object based upon the occurrence of the return object event, wherein the surface based computing device indexes at least a portion of the visual objects against a return event, wherein different types of return events are recorded in the data store of the surface based computing device for different ones of the visual objects, wherein the different types of return events associated with the visual objects comprise a duration based return event triggered when the duration expires, a return event triggered when possessor or owner of the visual object logs off from the surface based computing device, and a return event triggered by a possessor or owner of the visual object leaving a proximity necessary for directly interacting with the surface based computing device, wherein the return point represents a storage location external to the surface based computing device, and wherein the passing of one of the visual objects automatically removes the visual object from a user accessible storage location of the surface based computing device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein for at least a portion of the visual objects, the possessor is a first one of the different users and wherein a corresponding owner of the visual object is a second one of the different users.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the surface based computing device indexes at least a portion of the visual objects against a return event specific to that visual object, wherein at least a portion of the return events comprise a time value, and wherein the return point is an original position of the corresponding visual object, and wherein the return object event results from an expiration of a configurable duration, which is the time value indexed against that object within the return event, for which the corresponding visual object is permitted to remain in the current position.