Systems and methods providing collaborating among a plurality of users

• US 10,387,836 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collaboration Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: David H Sitrick
• Inventors: Sitrick, David Howard, Fling, Russell Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Titcomb, William D
• Application Number:
  US14/951,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20190147402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 715753
• 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: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A computing appliances for use by a user, provide for collaboration on a common project having an associated base image display. User data representative of a respective display of annotations responsive to user input is stored. The user data is comprised of event content data for respective events that are generated in a defined order of entry relative to other of the events. Presentation assembly logic, selectively retrieves respective said event content data for said events in the selected set responsive to the mapping logic, and generates presentation data responsive to processing the event content data for said events in the selected set, in a respective defined order of entry relative to other of the events.

Claims

1. A system for collaboration, comprising:

a computing appliance for use by a respective user;

storage comprising non-transitory storage media;

wherein said storage stores respective user data that is representative of a respective display of annotations responsive to a respective user input by the respective user;

wherein the storage provides associatively mapped storage of respective user data stored as associated with the user providing the respective user input;

wherein the user data is comprised of event content data for respective events generated in a defined order of entry relative to other of the events;

view control logic selecting a plurality of the events as a selected set;

presentation assembly logic responsive to the mapping logic, and generating presentation data responsive to processing the event content data for said events in the selected set, in a defined order responsive to other of the events in the selected set; and

display apparatus providing a presentation responsive to the presentation data.

2. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, each said computing appliance for use by a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein the storage of the user data is mapped as associated with the user providing the input of said user data.

3. The system as in claim 2,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein each said user is associated with a separate said display apparatus of a respective said computing appliance, which provides a local display presentation thereupon of a respective combined presentation comprising a display of at least some annotations as input by at least two of the plurality of users.

4. The system as in claim 2,

wherein the view control logic is responsive to selection of respective said event content by a respective said user for use in generation of associated display presentations at the computing appliance associated with each of at least two of the users.

5. The system as in claim 2,

wherein the storage is comprised of layer storage comprised of a plurality of data layers;

wherein the user data associated with the user input for each said user is stored in an associated said data layer;

the system further comprising;

display enable control logic defining a display enable mode defining one of an enabled display state and a disabled display state, for each of a plurality of respective data layers for each of the respective plurality of users, on a user-by-user individual basis as to each individual said user of the plurality of users; and

wherein the display generation is responsive to the display enable mode of the data layer for controlling providing the presentation.

6. The system as in claim 2,

wherein there are a plurality of computing appliances each associated with a respective one of a plurality of users;

wherein the storage is comprised of layer storage comprised of a plurality of data layers;

wherein the user data associated with the user input for each said user is stored in an associated said data layer;

wherein the storage is comprised of a set of a plurality of the data layers stored in a centralized layer storage and duplicated and stored in a set of local data layers of storage located in each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances;

wherein each of a plurality of computing appliances is associated with a same duplicated said local data layer in said respective local data layers of storage, in each of said at least two of said respective plurality of computing appliances;

wherein storage of the event content data in the centralized layer storage and the in each of the respective plurality of local data layers, is synchronized and updated such that changes to the user data in any of the sets of local data layers, are communicated for storage to all other ones of the sets of local data layers and to the centralized layer storage.

7. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the defined order of entry is determined responsive to utilizing of the event content data for the events in the selected set.

8. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein the presentation assembly logic is further comprised of;

selection logic, responsive to the mapping logic, providing a respective output of said user data for each of at least two of the users, for each of the events in the selected set; and

display generation logic providing generation of the presentation data for the presentation utilizing the event content for selected events from respective storage, responsive to the selection logic, responsive to the respective output.

9. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein each said computing appliance is further comprised of local view control logic providing selection of respective selected ones of the events as a local selected set of events; and

wherein the display generation at each said computing appliance is responsive to the event content associated with the local selected set of events.

10. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

edit control logic, responsive to the user input, for generating events comprised of the event content data comprising an event-ID, and change reference data; and

wherein the defined order is determined by the presentation assembly logic responsive to respective said change reference data and respective said event-ID.

11. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances is further comprised of local storage;

wherein changes to the respective user data for at least each said user of at least two said users is stored in respective associated said local storage of the respective said users;

wherein the storage is comprised of layer storage comprised of a plurality of data layers;

wherein the user data associated with the user input for each said user is stored in an associated said data layer;

wherein the layer storage is further comprised of a base layer of storage storing base image data representative of a respective base image display; and

wherein the display control logic provides selection of the base layer and at least one of the plurality of data layers as a selected data layer that provides respective said event content for the selected events to be utilized in the display generation, responsive to the mapping logic.

12. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances is further comprised of local storage;

wherein changes to the respective user data for each of at least two said users is stored in respective associated said local storage of the respective said users; and

wherein said changes to the respective user data are communicated between the at least two of the plurality of computing appliances, to provide updating, so that the respective said local storage of each one of the at least two of the plurality of computing appliances is updated to each store the same content comprising at least a part of said respective user data comprised at least in part of the changes.

13. The system as in claim 12,

wherein the updating provides for copying the user data for a change stored in the local storage at a first said computing appliance, to be copied from said first said computing appliance for storage in the local storage of said at least one other one of the plurality of computing appliances.

14. The system as in claim 1,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances is further comprised of local storage;

wherein the storage is comprised of layer storage comprised of a plurality of data layers;

wherein the user data associated with the user input for each said user is stored in an associated said data layer that is associated with said user;

wherein the storage is comprised of duplicate sets of data layers, each duplicate set comprised of a same plurality of data layers that are each stored in local storage and stored in corresponding ones of said data layers in said duplicate set in each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances;

wherein each of the plurality of computing appliances is associated with a respective data layer in the set;

wherein changes to the user data in one of the duplicate sets are communicated to and stored in at least one other ones of the duplicate sets to provide a synchronization of storage of the event content data in each of the duplicate sets.

15. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, wherein each said computing appliance is associated with a respective one user of a plurality of users;

communication apparatus providing voice communication between each of at least two of the plurality of users.

16. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

providing for collaboration on a common project having an associated base image display;

wherein the presentation is provided responsive to the presentation data and the base image display to provide a combined display presentation comprising a display of the presentation responsive to the presentation data shown with at least a part of a display of the base image display.

17. The system as in claim 16,

wherein the base image display is comprised of a display generated responsive to a streaming video presentation.

18. The system as in claim 16,

wherein the base image display is comprised of a display generated responsive to a interactive game video presentation.

19. The system as in claim 16,

wherein the base image display is comprised of a display generated responsive to a data file for a document comprised of one of a word processing document, a spreadsheet document, a graphic image, a photographic image, a moving picture, a group edited document, an engineering project, an agreement, a social media interaction, a display from Instant Messaging, a display from email, a display from a computer program, and a live on-line meeting.

20. A method of collaborating, the method comprising:

utilizing a computing appliance for use by a respective user, in working on a project providing a display of an associated base image display;

providing associatively mapped storage of user data having an associated display of annotations associated with input, by a user, in a defined order relative to other of the events; and

wherein the user data is comprised of event content data for events generated responsive to the input by said user;

the method further comprising;

providing selection of a plurality of the events as a selected set;

processing the event content for the events in the selected set, responsive to the event content data for the events in the selected set, processed in a defined order responsive to the event content data for other of the events in the selected set, to generate presentation data;

providing a combined display presentation responsive to the presentation data.

21. The method as in claim 20,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances each for use by an associated said user of a plurality of users;

wherein the combined display presentation shows the collaborating via the input of at least two of the users.

22. The method as in claim 21,

wherein said storage is comprised of a plurality of data layers,

the method further comprising:

wherein each said data layer of storage storing said user data as associated with the input by each of at least two said users;

providing for user selection of selective inclusion as to which of the data layers are utilized in generation of a local display; and

providing display generation of a local display presentation responsive to the user selection.

23. The method as in claim 22,

providing for a plurality of the users to each provide user selection of selective inclusion to select which of the data layers are to be utilized in an associated said local display presentation for said user;

providing the associated said local display presentation to each of said users responsive to the user selection.

24. The method as in claim 21, further comprising:

selecting from the plurality of users to select selected ones of the said users;

selecting associated selected ones of the events responsive to the selected ones of the users; and

providing the display generation responsive to the event content for the associated selected ones of the events.

25. The method as in claim 21,

wherein said storage is comprised of a plurality of data layers,

wherein each said data layer of storage stores respective user data that is representative of a respective display of annotations as input by a respective said user;

wherein the storage is comprised duplicate of sets of data layers each said duplicate set stored in one of a plurality of local storage in a respective said computing appliance at least two of the plurality of computing appliances; and

wherein each of the computing appliances is associated with a respective said data layer in said respective local storage in said at least two of said respective plurality of computing appliances;

the method further comprising;

communicating each of said changes between at least two of the computing appliances,

wherein changes to the user data stored in one of the duplicate sets local storage of one said computing appliance are communicated to at least one other one of the computing appliances respective sets of local data layers;

storing the changes to the communicated said user data in the data layer in the local storage that is associated with said user that is associated with said communicated user data, for each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances; and

wherein the respective said local layer of storage of each one of the at least two of the plurality of computing appliances is updated to both contain a same content as to the changes.

26. The method as in claim 21, further comprising:

providing voice communication between at least each of said at least two of the plurality of users, during the respective said combined display presentation.

27. A method of collaboration, comprising:

a computing appliance for use by a respective user;

non-transitory storage media, storing in user data that is representative of a display of annotations provided responsive to input by a respective user at an associated computing appliance wherein the user data is comprised of event content data for respective events generated in a defined order of entry relative to other of the events;

providing associatively mapped storage of respective user data stored as associated with the user providing the input of said respective user data;

selecting a plurality of the events as a selected set;

generating presentation data responsive to processing the event content data for said events in the selected set, in a defined order responsive to other of the events in the selected set responsive to the mapping logic; and

providing a presentation responsive to the presentation data.

28. The method as in claim 27,

wherein the events are entered in an entry order of input;

and

wherein the order of processing of the events is different than the entry order of input.

29. The method as in claim 27,

wherein the user data is comprised of event content data for respective events generated responsive to the input by the respective said user;

wherein the change reference data of one said event identifies a position, within the defined order of entry, relative to another said event.

30. The method as in claim 27,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, each said computing appliance for use by an associated said user of a plurality of users;

wherein for each one of at least two of the plurality of the users, respective said user data is associated with a display presentation of annotations that are originated by said user;

the method further comprising;

storing the user data that is originated by each said user in local non-transitory memory in the computing appliance associated with said user;

communicating the user data for each of at least two of the users between the computing appliances for said at least two of the users, for storage of the user data in respective said local non-transitory storage;

storing the user data in the local storage of the computing appliance to which said user data was communicated; and

providing a local display presentation to each of at least two of the users, responsive to at least a part of the storage of the user data from the communication.

31. The method as in claim 27,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances having input apparatus, each said computing appliance for use by an associated one of a plurality of users;

wherein for each respective one of at least two of the users, the associated said user data is representative of a display presentation of annotations originated at a respective one of the computing appliances;

the method further comprising;

providing event content data for respective said events, responsive to the user input for a respective said user for each of at least two of the users, of annotations made by the respective user relative to viewing the display presentation; and

storing the event content data for the respective said events, responsive to the mapping, and said event content data generated responsive to the respective said presentation data for the selected set of events.

32. The method as in claim 27,

wherein there are a plurality of the computing appliances, each said computing appliance for use by a respective one user of a plurality of users;

wherein the storage of the user data is mapped as associated with the user providing the input of said user data;

wherein the user data is comprised of event content data for respective events generated responsive to the input by the respective said user;

the method further comprising;

providing storage in a respective one of a plurality of data layers of non-transitory memory, of respective said user data, provided responsive to an input by a respective said user;

mapping of the event content to a respective said data layer that is associatively mapped to the user associated with said event,

wherein the event content is stored in a respective one of the data layers that is associatively mapped to the user providing the said input of the event content;

wherein each of the computing appliances has a role designation;

the method further comprising;

selecting a grouping of the data layers as selected data layers for said grouping, responsive to the role designation;

processing the event content data for the events in the selected set in a defined order responsive to the change reference data, and from the selected data layers, to generate presentation data; and

generating a respective said display presentation at each of the plurality of computing appliances having the same role designation, responsive to the presentation data for the role designation of each of said plurality of computing appliances in a same said grouping.

33. The method as in claim 27,

wherein the event content data is comprised of change reference data, and change content data;

the method further comprising;

providing selection of at least two of the events as a selected set;

defining a mapping of the event content as associatively mapped to the respective user associated with said event;

processing the event content data for the events in the selected set, in a defined order responsive to the change reference data for the events in the selected set, and the mapping, to generate new presentation data; and

generating a new presentation responsive to the new presentation data.

34. The method as in claim 27,

wherein the presentation is provided responsive to the presentation data and as base image display for collaboration on a common project to provide a combined local display presentation comprising a display of the presentation responsive to the presentation data shown with at least a part of a display of the base image display.

35. The system as in claim 34,

wherein the base image display is comprised of a display generated responsive to a streaming video presentation.

36. The system as in claim 34,

wherein the base image display is comprised of a display generated responsive to a interactive game video presentation.