Dynamically controlling a computer's display

• US 8,930,283 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grim, Clifton E. III, Marzke, Rex E., Stevens, Mark B., Ward, Gary A., Wilson, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US14/058,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.35, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

A method and/or computer system dynamically manages screen real estate of a remote computer'"'"'s display. A first computer receives an initial state of screen real estate of a remote second computer'"'"'s display on a portable computing device, where the initial state describes information displayed on the remote second computer'"'"'s display. The first computer detects a change to an external physical environment of the remote second computer'"'"'s display from one location to another location within a same building. The first computer then adjusts the initial state of the screen real estate in order to remotely create an adjusted state of the remote second computer'"'"'s screen real estate, where the adjusted state comports with the change to the physical location of the remote second computer'"'"'s display, and where the adjusted state alters an appearance of the information displayed on the remote second computer'"'"'s display.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically managing screen real estate of a remote computer'"'"'s display, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first computer, an initial state of screen real estate of a remote second computer'"'"'s display, wherein the remote second computer'"'"'s display is a display on a portable computing device, and wherein the initial state describes information displayed on screen real estate of the remote second computer'"'"'s display;

detecting, by the first computer, a change to an external physical environment of the remote second computer'"'"'s display, wherein the change to the external physical environment of the remote second computer'"'"'s display is a change to a physical location of the remote second computer'"'"'s display from one location to another location within a same building; and

adjusting, by the first computer, the initial state of the screen real estate by remotely creating an adjusted state of the screen real estate, wherein the creating of the adjusted state is in response to the change to the physical location of the remote second computer'"'"'s display from one location to another location within the same building, wherein the creating of the adjusted state alters an appearance of the information displayed on the screen real estate of the remote second computer'"'"'s display, and wherein the altering of the appearance of the information is performed by one or more of changing a brightness on the remote second computer'"'"'s display, changing a font of the information displayed, switching a display of the information from text to video, and switching a display of the information from video to text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a fee is charged for displaying content on the remote second computer'"'"'s display, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the change to the physical location of the remote second computer'"'"'s display, adjusting a fee for displaying the content on the remote second computer'"'"'s display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the change to the external physical environment of the remote second computer'"'"'s display further comprises a change to ambient lighting at the remote second computer'"'"'s display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusted state of the screen real estate reflects a change to content displayed on the remote second computer'"'"'s display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusted state of the screen real estate reflects a change to visual appearance of content displayed on the remote second computer'"'"'s display, wherein the change to the visual appearance adjusts a readability of the content while retaining original information represented by the content.

6. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to receive an initial state of screen real estate of a remote computer'"'"'s display, wherein the remote computer'"'"'s display is a display on a portable computing device, and wherein the initial state describes information displayed on screen real estate of the remote computer'"'"'s display;

second program instructions to detect a change to an external physical environment of the remote computer'"'"'s display, wherein the change to the external physical environment of the remote computer'"'"'s display is a change to a physical location of the remote computer'"'"'s display from one location to another location within a same building; and

third program instructions to adjust the initial state of the screen real estate by remotely creating an adjusted state of the screen real estate, wherein the creating of the adjusted state is in response to the change to the physical location of the remote computer'"'"'s display from one location to another location within the same building, wherein the adjusted state alters an appearance of the information displayed on the screen real estate of the remote computer'"'"'s display, and wherein the altering the appearance of the information is performed by one or more of changing a brightness on the remote computer'"'"'s display, changing a font of the information displayed, switching a display of the information from text to video, and switching a display of the information from video to text; and

wherein

the first, second, and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein a fee is charged for displaying content on the remote computer'"'"'s display, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

fourth program instructions to, in response to the change to the physical location of the remote computer'"'"'s display, adjust a fee for displaying the content on the remote computer'"'"'s display; and

wherein

the fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the change to the external physical environment of the remote computer'"'"'s display further comprises a change to ambient lighting at the remote computer'"'"'s display.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the adjusted state of the screen real estate reflects a change to content displayed on the remote computer'"'"'s display.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the adjusted state of the screen real estate reflects a change to visual appearance of content displayed on the remote computer'"'"'s display, wherein the change to the visual appearance adjusts a readability of the content while retaining original information represented by the content.