Method and apparatus for generating a virtual interactive workspace

• US 9,235,268 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flaming Partners Limited
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Arrasvuori, Juha Henrik, Kernen, Jaakko, Korhonen, Hannu J., Lucero, Andrs, Jokela, Tero, Boberg, Marion, Holopainen, Jussi Pekka, Reponen, Erika Piia Pauliina, Vnnen-Vainio-Mattila, Kaisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/913,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/200, 345/629, 345/440, 715/863, 715/716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

An approach is provided for creating a virtual workspace among devices based, at least in part, on location information. The virtual workspace corresponds to an application or a service common to the devices. Monitoring of the movement of one or more of the devices causes manipulation of the virtual workspace, the application, the service, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the movement. Example applications and services include media editing, media playback, image processing, social networking, and social control functionality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining to detect location information associated with a plurality of devices;

determining to monitor movement of one or more of the devices relative to one or more other devices of the plurality of devices;

determining, by a processor, to create a virtual workspace represented by the movement and/or the location information of the plurality of devices, wherein the virtual workspace corresponds to one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof common to the plurality of devices; and

determining to cause, at least in part, a sharing of data from at least one of the devices based, at least in part, on the movement and/or the location information of the plurality of devices.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to combine the shared data and data from at least one other of the devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determining to cause, at least in part, a translation of one or more modifications to the combined data at a topmost device of the stack to another device of the stack.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to store state information associated with the devices, the virtual workspace, the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof;

determining the state information based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determining to store the state information, wherein the state information enables restoration of the virtual workspace.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the movement of the one or more devices includes a movement along a plane of the virtual workplace, a movement in or out of the plane of the virtual workplace, a rotation of the one or more devices, a stacking of the one or more devices, an alignment of the one or more devices, or a combination thereof.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications or the one or more services include media editing, the method further comprising at least one of:

determining to present one or more media files on the one or more devices;

determining respective lengths of the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to cause, at least in part, a splicing or a separation of the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to edit the one or more media files to include text, still images, audio, transitions effects, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to combine the one or more media files as tracks of a final media file based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determining to associate a media effect with at least one of the devices, wherein the media effect is applied on the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include media playback, the method further comprising at least one of:

determining to playback one or more media files on a first one of the devices and a second one or more of the devices, wherein the playback of the media files on the second ones of the devices is delayed with respect to the playback of the media files on the first one of the devices, and wherein the delay is based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to control the playback of the one or more media files on the first one of the devices, the second ones of the devices, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to replay at least a portion of the media files currently playing on the first one of the devices or the second ones of the devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determining to detect an eye movement of a user associated with one of the devices, wherein the eye movement selects the first one of the devices from among the devices.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include image processing, the method further comprising at least one of:

determining to compile a collage of images presented respectively on the one or more devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining a level of image processing to apply on the respective images based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determining to define a perspective of at least one of the images based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include social networking, the method further comprising at least one of:

determining to present a social graph for the respective one or more devices, wherein the social graphs are combined based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to identify one or more common contacts of the combined social graph with respect to the one or more devices, wherein the common contacts are offered a common benefit;

determining to generate a recommendation for one or more new contacts based, at least in part, on the one or more common contacts;

receiving an input for specifying one or more contact criteria, wherein the combined social graph is searched according to the contact criteria;

determining to establish a communication session between the one or more devices based, at least in part, on the combined social graph, the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determining to present descriptions of the relationship types in the combined social graph; and

determining to present different portions of the combined social graph on the one or more devices based on, at least in part, the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to associate the one or more devices with a virtual controller corresponding to a function common to the one or more devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

receiving an input for actuating the virtual controller;

determining to control the function with respect to a local implementation of the function and one or more remote implementations of the function corresponding respectively to the one or more devices.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to associate one or more different applications or one or more different services with one or more of the devices; and

combining one or more features, one or more user interface elements, or a combination thereof of the one or more different applications, the one or more different services, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

11. A method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining to present the one or more applications, the one or more different applications, the one or more services, the one or more different services, or a combination thereof on a plurality of layers of the virtual workspace; and

determining to manipulate one or more of the plurality of layers based, at least in part, on the movement.

12. A method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of layers, or one or more portions of the one or more layers are associated respectively with different levels of access, different levels of control, or a combination thereof with respect to the devices.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more computer programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine to detect location information associated with a plurality of devices;

determine to monitor movement of one or more of the devices relative to one or more other devices of the plurality of devices;

determine to create a virtual workspace represented by the movement and/or the location information of the plurality of devices, wherein the virtual workspace corresponds to one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof common to the plurality of devices; and

determine to cause, at least in part, a sharing of data from at least one of the devices based, at least in part, on the movement and/or the location information of the plurality of devices.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to combine the shared data and data from at least one other of the devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determine to cause, at least in part, a translation of one or more modifications to the combined data at a topmost device of the stack to another device of the stack.

15. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive a request to store state information associated with the devices, the virtual workspace, the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof;

determine the state information based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determine to store the state information, wherein the state information enables restoration of the virtual workspace.

16. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the movement of the one or more devices includes a movement along a plane of the virtual workplace, a movement in or out of the plane of the virtual workplace, a rotation of the one or more devices, a stacking of the one or more devices, an alignment of the one or more devices, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more applications or the one or more services include media editing, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform at least one of:

determine to present one or more media files on the one or more devices;

determine respective lengths of the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to cause, at least in part, a splicing or a separation of the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to edit the one or more media files to include text, still images, audio, transitions effects, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to combine the one or more media files as tracks of a final media file based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determine to associate a media effect with at least one of the devices, wherein the media effect is applied on the one or more media files based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include media playback, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform at least one of:

determine to playback one or more media files on a first one of the devices and a second one or more of the devices, wherein the playback of the media files on the second ones of the devices is delayed with respect to the playback of the media files on the first one of the devices, and wherein the delay is based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to control the playback of the one or more media files on the first one of the devices, the second ones of the devices, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to replay at least a portion of the media files currently playing on the first one of the devices or the second ones of the devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determine to detect an eye movement of a user associated with one of the devices, wherein the eye movement selects the first one of the devices from among the devices.

19. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include image processing, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform at least one of:

determine to compile a collage of images presented respectively on the one or more devices based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine a level of image processing to apply on the respective images based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof; and

determine to define a perspective of at least one of the images based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.

20. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more applications, the one or more services, or a combination thereof include social networking, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform at least one of:

determine to present a social graph for the respective one or more devices, wherein the social graphs are combined based, at least in part, on the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to identify one or more common contacts of the combined social graph with respect to the one or more devices, wherein the common contacts are offered a common benefit;

determine to generate a recommendation for one or more new contacts based, at least in part, on the one or more common contacts;

receive an input for specifying one or more contact criteria, wherein the combined social graph is searched according to the contact criteria;

determine to establish a communication session between the one or more devices based, at least in part, on the combined social graph, the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof;

determine to present descriptions of the relationship types in the combined social graph; and

determine to present different portions of the combined social graph on the one or more devices based on, at least in part, the location information, the movement, or a combination thereof.