Computerized method and system for generating a display having a physical information item and an electronic information item

• US 8,890,882 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goldthwaite, Flora P., Cluts, Jonathan C., Hendrickson, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/068,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,550 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/807
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and systems for generating a display, for instance, on an integrated message board, the display having at least one physical information item and at least one electronic information item are provided. The physical information item may include, by way of example only, a tagged physical object, hand-written data, and/or data obtained through touch or voice recognition. Methods and systems for integrating physical information items and electronic information items in a single display location are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a display having at least one electronic information item and at least one physical information item, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of electronic information items and causing each electronic information item of the plurality of electronic information items to be displayed at a first respective location on a display;

determining that the at least one physical information item is in communication with the display;

determining whether the at least one physical information item obstructs a view of an electronic information item of the plurality of electronic information items;

if the at least one physical information item does not obstruct the view of the electronic information item, allowing each electronic information item of the plurality of electronic information items to be displayed at the first respective location; and

if the at least one physical information item does obstruct the view of the electronic information item, causing each electronic information item of the plurality of electronic information items to be reoriented to a second respective location, thereby rebalancing a presentation of the display and preventing viewing obstructions.

2. A computer-implemented method for generating a display having a new electronic information item derived from a physical information item, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that the physical information item has been received at a first location on the display, wherein the physical information item comprises a physical boundary and wherein the physical information item obstructs a portion of the display;

in response to determining that the physical information item obstructs a first view of any electronic information displayed, one or more of reorienting and rescaling the any electronic information to be displayed in a second view that is not obstructed by the physical information item;

reading information provided by the physical information item; and

displaying the new electronic information item in a second location on the display, the new electronic information item being derived from the information provided by the physical information item, wherein the second location is at least partially outside the physical boundary of the physical information item and wherein the new electronic information item is not obstructed by the physical information item, which obstructs the portion of the display.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the display comprises a networked display, wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the networked display comprises receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at the first location on the display, the physical information item having a tag including an identifier stored therein, and

wherein the method further comprises transmitting a query over a network to determine a source of the physical information item based upon the identifier stored in the tag.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display comprises receiving an indication that a hand-written physical information item has been received at the first location on the display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein accessing the information associated with the physical item comprises converting the hand-written information item into the electronic information item.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving an indication that a physical information item has been received at a first location on the display comprises receiving an indication that a physical object has been received at the first location on the display.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if at least one additional electronic information item is displayed on the display;

if at least one additional electronic information item is displayed on the display, determining if the physical object is obstructing a view of the at least one additional electronic information item; and

if the physical object is obstructing the view of the at least one additional electronic information item, reorienting the at least one additional electronic information item such that the view is not obstructed.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if the information associated with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested; and

if the information associated with the physical item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested, comparing the event information with at least one electronic time management system to determine attendance availability.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if attendance availability is determined, the method further comprises providing one or more user-selectable indicators, selection of which indicates whether attendance is planned.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving user input that attendance of the event is planned; and

populating the electronic time management system with the event information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying the event information in proximity to the physical information item.

12. A computer-system memory storing computer-executable instructions for generating a display having at least one electronic information item derived from a physical information item, the instructions configured to execute steps comprising:

providing a display on an integrated message board having a physical object display area capable of suspending physical objects therefrom;

receiving an indication that the physical information item has been received at a first location on the display, wherein the physical information item comprises a physical boundary;

reading information provided by the physical information item;

determining that the information provided by the physical information item is indicative of an event for which attendance is requested, and comparing the information with at least one electronic time management system to determine attendance availability; and

displaying an electronic information item in a second location on the display, wherein the electronic information item is derived from the information provided by the physical information and wherein the second location is at least partially outside the physical boundary of the physical information item.

13. The computer-system memory storing computer-executable instructions of claim 12, wherein if attendance availability is determined, the computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions configured for receiving user input that attendance of the event is planned and instructions configured for populating the electronic time management system with the event information.

14. The computer-system memory storing computer-executable instructions of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured for displaying the event information in proximity to the physical information item.