Smart notebook

• US 9,135,599 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Westerinen, William J., Allard, J. Edward, Estrada, Julio, Dougherty, Michael Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US12/487,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 715/734, 715/753, 715/759, 715/864
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed herein for allowing sharing of notes and ideas between electronic devices. The presence of a number of electronic devices is determined. A determination is made that the electronic devices are to be part of a shared workspace. A shared workspace is generated for the electronic devices. The shared workspace is displayed on a display screen of at least one of the electronic devices. The shared workspace that is displayed may be based on the capabilities of the electronic device. The shared workspace that is displayed may reflect the location of the electronic devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display; and

a computer readable storage media device coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage media device having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to;

determine that a plurality of electronic devices that include the apparatus are to be part of a shared workspace that allows the electronic devices to share objects with each other, the apparatus uses short range wireless communications to locate the other electronic devices which are in close physical proximity to the apparatus;

access a physical location of each of the plurality of electronic devices;

receive a first object to be shared in the shared workspace by a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

receive a second object to be shared in the shared workspace by a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

generate a representation of the shared workspace based on capabilities of the apparatus and the physical locations of the plurality of electronic devices relative to the physical location of the apparatus, the generating a representation of the shared workspace including determining to include less than all of the plurality of electronic devices in the representation based on the capabilities of the apparatus, the included electronic devices are a first set of electronic devices;

present the representation of the shared workspace on the display, including displaying the first object but not the second object;

receive a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a physical location of an electronic device in the shared workspace that is not in the first set of electronic devices;

determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan, a second set of the plurality of electronic devices that is different from the first set is included in the new representation; and

present the new representation of the shared workspace on the display in response to the request to pan, including displaying the second object but not the first object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to receive a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a different physical location and to determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan include instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to:

receive a request to pan to the right at time when the first object being shared by the first electronic device is being presented on the display of the apparatus;

determine that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device from the perspective of the apparatus; and

determine that the second set includes the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device.

3. A method comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, that a plurality of electronic devices that include the apparatus are to be part of a shared workspace that allows the electronic devices to share objects with each other, wherein the apparatus uses short range wireless communications to locate the other electronic devices which are in close physical proximity to the apparatus;

accessing, by the apparatus, a physical location of each of the plurality of electronic devices;

receiving a first object to be shared in the shared workspace by a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

receiving a second object to be shared in the shared workspace by a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

generating a representation of the shared workspace based on capabilities of the apparatus and the physical locations of the plurality of electronic devices relative to the physical location of the apparatus, the generating a representation of the shared workspace including determining to include less than all of the plurality of electronic devices in the representation based on the capabilities of the apparatus, the included electronic devices are a first set of electronic devices;

presenting the representation of the shared workspace on a display of the apparatus, including displaying the first object but not the second object;

receiving a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a physical location of an electronic device in the shared workspace that is not in the first set of electronic devices;

determining a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan, a second set of the plurality of electronic devices that is different from the first set is included in the new representation; and

presenting the new representation of the shared workspace on the display in response to the request to pan, including displaying the second object but not the first object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a different physical location and to determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan includes:

receiving a request to pan to the right at time when the first object being shared by the first electronic device is being presented on the display of the apparatus;

determining that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device from the perspective of the apparatus; and

determining that the second set includes the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device.