Personal control apparatus and method for sharing information in a collaborative workspace
First Claim
1. A method of selecting information from a video source to be displayed on at least a first common display screen in a collaborative workspace having a switching device, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a selectable first control interface that includes at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states;
uniquely associating a single video source with the selectable first control interface;
when the single video source is associated with the selectable first control interface and prior to selection of the selectable first control interface, causing the at least one indicator to indicate a first state;
when the selectable first control interface is selected, causing the at least one indicator to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the video source to the common display screen;
providing a second selectable control interface that includes at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states;
uniquely associating a second video source with the second selectable control interface;
when the second video source is associated with the second selectable control interface and prior to selection of the second selectable control interface, causing the at least one indicator on the second control interface to indicate the first state; and
when the second selectable control interface is selected, causing the at least one indicator on the second selectable control interface to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the second video source to the common display screen via the switching device irrespective of which source was providing video information to the common display screen prior to selection of the second selectable control interface device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for selecting information from a video source to be displayed on at least a first common display screen in a collaborative workspace having a switching device, the method comprising the steps of providing a selectable control interface that includes at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states, associating a video source with the switching device so that video information from the video source is presented to the switching device, when the video source is associated with the switching device, causing the at least one indicator to indicate a first state and when the selectable control interface is selected, causing the at least one indicator to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the video source to the common display screen via the switching device.
290 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of selecting information from a video source to be displayed on at least a first common display screen in a collaborative workspace having a switching device, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a selectable first control interface that includes at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states; uniquely associating a single video source with the selectable first control interface; when the single video source is associated with the selectable first control interface and prior to selection of the selectable first control interface, causing the at least one indicator to indicate a first state; when the selectable first control interface is selected, causing the at least one indicator to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the video source to the common display screen; providing a second selectable control interface that includes at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states; uniquely associating a second video source with the second selectable control interface; when the second video source is associated with the second selectable control interface and prior to selection of the second selectable control interface, causing the at least one indicator on the second control interface to indicate the first state; and when the second selectable control interface is selected, causing the at least one indicator on the second selectable control interface to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the second video source to the common display screen via the switching device irrespective of which source was providing video information to the common display screen prior to selection of the second selectable control interface device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of selecting information from a video source to be displayed on a subset of M common display screens in a collaborative workspace having a switching device, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a control interface that includes N selectable controls wherein N and M are positive integers, N is at least as great as M and wherein each selectable control is associated with a separate indicator and each indicator may assume at least first and second visually distinguishable states; uniquely associating a single video source with the control interface; and when the video source is associated with the control interface, for each of the M common display screens, causing a separate one of the indicators to assume the second visual state while the other N-M indicators remain in the first visual state; wherein each of the indicators associated with the selectable controls may assume a third visually distinguishable state, the method further including the steps of, when any of the selectable controls is selected, causing the indicator associated with the selected control to indicate the third state and providing the video information from the video source to the common display screen via the switching device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of selecting information from video sources to be displayed on at least a first common display screen in a collaborative workspace, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first selectable control interface that includes at least a first indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states; providing a second selectable control interface that includes at least a second indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states where the second selectable control interface is completely independent of the first selectable control interface; uniquely associating a first video source with the first selectable control interface; uniquely associating a second video source with the second selectable control interface; when the first video source is associated with the first selectable control interface and prior to selection of the first selectable control interface, causing the first indicator to indicate a first state; when the first selectable control interface is selected, causing the first indicator to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the first video source to the common display screen; when the second video source is associated with the second selectable control interface and prior to selection of the second selectable control interface, causing the second indicator to indicate the first state; and when the second selectable control interface is selected, causing the second indicator to indicate the second state and providing the video information from the second video source to the common display screen via the switching device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for selecting information from video sources to be displayed on a plurality of common display screens in a collaborative workspace, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of selectable control interfaces, each selectable control interface including a separate control for each of the plurality of common display screens, each control including at least one indicator that can indicate at least first and second different states, each selectable control interface independent and separate from the other selectable control interfaces in the plurality of selectable control interfaces, each selectable control interface associated with a different video source such that only one selectable control interface can be used to select an associated video source;
wherein,for each selectable control interface; (i) prior to selecting the control causing the indicator associated with the control to indicate the first state; and (ii) when the control on the selectable control interface is selected, causing the indicator associated with the control to indicate the second state and providing video content from the video source associated with the selectable control interface to the display screen associated with the selected control.
Specification