Method and apparatus for establishing user-specific windows on a multi-user interactive table

• US 9,164,648 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Amendolagine, James, Sugiyama, Nobukazu, Nguyen, Djung
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US13/238,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/759
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a method and apparatus in which one or more user specific windows may be launched within a single computing session executed and displayed on the display of an interactive table. More specifically, the present invention is directed toward detecting the position of one or more users around an interactive table and generating one or more user-specific windows proximate to one or more user/s on the display of the interactive table within a single session.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor configured to perform steps comprising;

establishing a session having a plurality of users, each of the plurality of users sharing the same display area of the session;

receiving a first-user window request from a first user of the plurality of users, wherein the first-user window request comprises a request to open one or more first user-specific windows within the session display area;

authenticating the first user in response to the first-user window request if the first user is not logged into the session;

retrieving one or more window profiles corresponding with one or more of the first user-specific windows;

detecting a position of the first user, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a gesture performed by the first user;

generating the one or more of the first user-specific windows at one or more first locations determined at least in part by a detected position of the first user, wherein one or more of the first user-specific windows comprises one or more taskbars for managing one or more of the first user-specific windows; and

a display for displaying the session, the session comprising one or more of the first user-specific windows, wherein an appearance of one or more of the first user-specific windows is based at least in part on one or more corresponding window profiles;

wherein the entire display area of the multi-user session that accepts user input is configured to receive input from each of the plurality of users.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a second-user window request from a second user of the plurality of users, wherein the second-user window request comprises a request to open one or more second user-specific windows;

authenticating the second user in response to the second-user window request if the second user is not logged into the session;

retrieving one or more of the second window profiles corresponding with the one or more of the second user-specific windows;

detecting a position of the second user;

generating one or more of the second user-specific windows at one or more second locations determined at least in part by a detected position of the second user, wherein one or more of the second user-specific windows comprises one or more taskbars for managing one or more of the second user-specific windows; and

simultaneously displaying one or more of the second user-specific windows together with one or more of the first user-specific windows, wherein an appearance of one or more of the second user-specific windows is based at least in part on one or more corresponding second window profiles.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

repositioning one or more of the second user-specific windows to one or more new locations selected by the second user.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

repositioning one or more of the first user-specific windows to a chosen location selected by one of the plurality of users.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

sharing one or more of the first user-specific windows with two or more of the plurality of users.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

retrieving one or more window profiles corresponding with one or more of the first user-specific windows based at least in part on fingerprint information received from a fingerprint sensor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least in part on the fingerprint information received from the fingerprint sensor.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the step of:

displaying an additional first user-specific window in the session in response to the first user dividing the display with his/her fingers.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a recognition of a first user'"'"'s voice.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a detected image.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a recognition of a first user'"'"'s voice.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a detected image.

13. A method comprising:

establishing a session having a plurality of users, each of the plurality of users sharing the same display area of the session;

receiving a first-user window request from a first user of the plurality of users, wherein the first-user window request comprises a request to open one or more first user-specific windows;

authenticating the first user in response to the first-user window request if the first user is not logged into the session;

retrieving one or more window profiles corresponding with the one or more of the first user-specific windows within the session display area;

detecting a position of the first user, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a gesture performed by the first user;

generating the one or more first user-specific windows at one or more locations determined at least in part by the detected position of the first user, wherein one or more of the first user-specific windows further comprises one or more taskbars for managing the one or more first user-specific windows; and

displaying the session, the session comprising one or more of the first user-specific windows, wherein an appearance of one or more of the first user-specific windows is based at least in part on one or more corresponding window profiles;

wherein the entire display area of the multi-user session that accepts user input is configured to receive input from each of the plurality of users.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second-user window request from a second user of the plurality of users, wherein the second-user window request comprises a request to open one or more second user-specific windows;

authenticating the second user in response to the second-user window request if the second user is not logged into the session;

retrieving one or more second window profiles corresponding with one or more of the second user-specific windows;

detecting a position of the second user;

generating one or more of the second user-specific windows at one or more second locations determined at least in part by the detected position of the second user, wherein one or more of the second user-specific windows comprises one or more taskbars for managing one or more of the second user-specific windows; and

simultaneously displaying one or more of the second user-specific windows together with one or more of the first user-specific windows, wherein an appearance of one or more of the second user-specific windows is based at least in part on one or more corresponding second window profiles.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repositioning one or more of the second user-specific windows to a new location selected by the second user.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

repositioning one or more of the first user-specific windows to a new location selected by one of the plurality of users.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sharing one or more of the first user-specific windows with two or more of the plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

retrieving one or more window profiles corresponding with one or more of the first user-specific windows based at least in part on fingerprint information received from a fingerprint sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least in part on the fingerprint information received from the fingerprint sensor.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying an additional first user-specific window in the session in response to the first user dividing the display with his/her fingers.

21. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more computer readable programs adapted to cause a processor based system to execute steps comprising:

establishing a session having a plurality of users, each of the plurality of users sharing the same display area of the session;

receiving a first-user window request from a first user of the plurality of users, wherein the first-user window request comprises a request to open one or more first user-specific windows within in the session display area;

authenticating the first user in response to the first-user window request if the first user is not logged into the session;

retrieving one or more window profiles corresponding with one or more of the first user-specific windows;

detecting a position of the first user, wherein the position of the first user is determined at least based in part on a gesture performed by the first user;

generating one or more of the first user-specific windows at one or more first locations determined at least in part by the detected position of the first user, wherein one or more of the first user-specific windows comprises one or more taskbars for managing one or more of the first user-specific windows; and

displaying the session, the session comprising one or more of the first user-specific windows,

wherein an appearance of one or more of the first user-specific windows is based at least in part on one or more corresponding window profiles;

wherein the entire display area of the multi-user session that accepts user input is configured to receive input from each of the plurality of users.