System and method for digital multi-lateral proofreading during a meeting

• US 9,530,106 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: U-See 2 Limited
• Original Assignee: U-See 2 Limited
• Inventors: Sitbon, David Eduard
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, ANDRE L
• Application Number:
  US12/521,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,284 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A digital multi-lateral system and method for proofreading a composition during a meeting. The system comprises a multi-screened monitor unit having a first screen and at least one oppositely facing second screen mounted in a common housing, images of a selected composition being viewable simultaneously on the first screen and the at least one second screen, a computer coupled to the monitor unit and provided with a dedicated software module for interfacing with the monitor unit, one or more primary and secondary co-author input devices, and means for transmitting signals generated by each co-author input device to the computer. Correction data is transmitted by a co-author input device to the computer, which transmits corrected image data simultaneously to the first and second screens. In one embodiment, the monitor unit receives VGA data and USB video data from the computer and transmits the same to the first and second screens, respectively.

Claims

1. A digital multi-lateral system for proofreading a composition during a meeting, comprising:

a) a multi-screened monitor unit having a first screen and at least one oppositely facing second screen mounted in a common housing, images of a selected textual-content based composition being viewable simultaneously on said first screen and said at least one second screen;

b) a computer coupled to said multi-screened monitor unit and provided with a dedicated software module installed thereon, said dedicated software module also being configured to interface between an operating system of said computer and said monitor unit;

c) one or more primary co-author input devices by which a primary co-author is able to perform a proofreading operation while viewing said composition on said first screen, said one or more primary co-author input devices being coupled to said computer;

d) one or more sets of secondary co-author input devices by which a corresponding secondary co-author is able to perform a proofreading operation while viewing said composition on a corresponding second screen during a meeting with the primary co-author; and

e) means for transmitting signals generated by each of said secondary co-author input devices to said computer,

wherein correction data of said textual-content is transmittable from said one or more sets of secondary co-author input devices to said dedicated software module, and from said dedicated software module to said operating system,

wherein said operating system is adapted to transmit said correction data to an application running on said computer in order to generate corrected image data in response to said transmitted correction data and to transmit said corrected image data to said operating system, whereupon said operating system is adapted to generate video graphics array (VGA) data and universal serial bus (USB) video data from said corrected image data,

wherein said monitor unit further comprises the following elements that are retained by said housing;

i. a first input port for receiving USB control data and said USB video data from said operating system;

ii. a second input port for receiving said VGA data from said operating system;

iii. a control module for controlling the flow of said received USB control data and USB video data;

iv. a video splitter for receiving said VGA data and for splitting said received VGA data into a first portion transmitted through a first line to said first screen and into a second portion transmitted through a second line;

v. a USB/VGA selector switch module which has a first video input for inputting USB video data received from said control module, a second video input for inputting VGA video data received from said video splitter via said second line, and only a single video output, for selectively delivering, to said at least one second screen via said video output, said received USB video data at a first given time and said received VGA video data at a second given time in response to the control data generated by said control module; and

,

vi. at least one USB output port through which USB data including said correction data generated by a corresponding secondary co-author input device is transmitted to said operating system via said dedicated software module,

wherein said monitor unit is operable, upon selection by the primary co-author, in an agent only mode whereby images are viewable on the first screen but not on the at least one second screen, in a uniform mode whereby the first screen and the at least one second screen display the same images associated with said received VGA data, or in a dual mode whereby the first screen displays images associated with said received VGA data and the at least one second screen displays images associated with said received USB video data,

wherein said dedicated software module, upon input by the primary co-author, is adapted to disable said one or more sets of secondary co-author input devices during the uniform or dual mode.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitor unit is a kit which is releasably coupleable with the computer.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for preventing a primary co-author input device and a secondary co-author input device to operate simultaneously during the uniform mode of a multi-lateral proofreading operation.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control module is further adapted to convert signals generated by a secondary co-author input device into USB signals transmitted to the computer.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitor unit further comprises a first USB segment extending from the control module to the switch module, and a second USB segment extending from the switch module to the second screen.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for identifying each of the co-authors.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising an authentication server with which the computer is in data communication, for authenticating a co-author identification, and means for disabling a proofreading operation if a co-author identification is not authenticated.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising means for attaching a digital signature to an approved composition.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein a primary or secondary co-author input device is an input device which is external to the monitor unit.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein a primary or secondary co-author input device is an input device which is integral with the monitor unit.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the integral input device is a touch screen, and the transmitted corrected image data is a displayed feature of the composition which is indicated by means of the touch screen.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of the secondary co-author input devices is coupled to the monitor unit, or to the computer.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein a secondary co-author input device is in wireless communication with the computer.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein correction data of the textual content is also transmittable from the one or more primary co-author input devices to the dedicated software module, and from the dedicated software module to the operating system.

15. A method for the digital multi-lateral proofreading of a composition during a meeting, comprising:

a) providing a multi-screened monitor unit having a first screen viewable by a primary co-author and at least one oppositely facing second screen viewable by corresponding secondary co-authors, said first and second screens being mounted in a common housing;

b) coupling said monitor unit to a computer provided with a dedicated software module installed thereon, said dedicated software module being configured to interface between an operating system of said computer and said monitor unit;

c) receiving from said computer, at a first input port of said monitor unit, USB control data and USB video data;

d) receiving from said computer, at a second input port of said monitor unit, VGA data;

e) controlling the flow of said received USB control data and USB video data;

f) inputting said received USB video data and said received VGA video data in parallel to a USB/VGA selector switch module housed in said monitor unit;

g) selectively delivering via only a single video output of said USB/VGA selector switch module to said at least one second screen in response to said received USB control data, said received USB video data at a first given time and said received VGA video data at a second given time;

h) commencing a dual mode initiated by the primary co-author in conjunction with said dedicated software module, whereby the at least one second screen displays images corresponding to said received USB video data and the first screen displays images corresponding to said received VGA data that are different images than those displayed on the at least one second screen;

i) simultaneously viewing images of a same selected textual-content based composition during a meeting by a co-author on each corresponding screen of said monitor unit;

j) simultaneously performing a proofreading operation by the primary co-author and the at least one secondary co-author, whereby correction data of said textual-content is transmitted from a corresponding input device of one or more of said secondary co-authors to said dedicated software module and from said dedicated software module to said operating system;

k) generating corrected image data by said operating system in response to said transmitted correction data; and

l) transmitting said corrected image data to said first and at least one second screens via said dedicated software module.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of commencing an agent only mode initiated by the primary co-author, whereby images are not displayed on the at least one second screen.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of commencing a uniform mode initiated by the primary co-author whereby the first screen and the at least one second screen display the same images and a proofreading operation is simultaneously performed by the primary co-author and the at least one secondary co-author.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein all secondary co-author input devices are disabled for a predetermined period of time after a primary co-author input device has performed a proofreading operation, and all primary co-author input devices are disabled for a predetermined period of time after a secondary co-author input device has performed a proofreading operation.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the primary co-author is a grantor and the secondary co-author is a grantee.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of disabling a secondary co-author input device by the primary co-author during the uniform mode.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the corrected image data is transmitted simultaneously to the first and at least one second screens.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of simultaneously performing the proofreading operation by the primary co-author and the at least one secondary co-author in the dual mode, whereby correction data is transmitted from a corresponding input device of the primary co-author to said computer.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the proofreading operation includes correction of misprints, inaccurate statements and deleted statements.

24. A multi-screened computer monitor unit self contained within a housing and which is capable of being coupled to a single computer, comprising:

a) a first screen;

b) at least one oppositely facing second screen;

c) a first input port for receiving USB control data and USB video data received from a single computer;

d) a control module for controlling the flow of the USB control data and the USB video data received from said first input port;

e) a second input port for receiving VGA data from the computer;

f) a video splitter for splitting the received VGA data into a first portion transmitted through a first line to said first screen and into a second portion transmitted through a second line;

g) a USB/VGA selector switch module which has a first video input for inputting USB video data received from said control module, a second video input for inputting VGA video data received from said video splitter via said second line, and only a single video output by which is selectively delivered, said received USB video data at a first given time and said received VGA video data at a second given time, to each of said second screens in response to the control data generated by said control module;

h) a first USB segment extending from said control module to each of said switch modules;

i) a second USB segment extending from each of said switch modules to a corresponding second screen;

j) means for selecting a desired mode of operation, corresponding USB control data being transmittable to said control module upon selection of the desired mode of operation; and

k) for each corresponding second screen, a set of one or more output ports, from each of said output ports are transmittable USB signals generated by a client input device in data communication with said monitor unit to the computer,

wherein said control module is adapted to generate a disable signal and to transmit the same to said switch module during an agent only mode to suppress the transmission of the VGA data via said second line,

wherein said control module is adapted to generate an enable signal and to transmit the same to said switch module during a uniform mode to enable the transmission of the VGA data via said first and second lines simultaneously,

wherein said control module is adapted to generate a disable signal and to transmit the same to each of said switch modules during a dual mode, the USB video data being transmittable via the first USB bus segment and each of second USB bus segments to each of said corresponding second screens, respectively, images associated with said VGA data and with said USB video data being simultaneously displayable on said first and second screens, respectively.

25. The monitor unit according to claim 24, wherein the first screen is stationary and the second screen is displaceable.

26. The monitor unit according to claim 24, wherein the second screen is angularly spaced from the first screen.