Math engine and collaboration system for technical expression manipulation

• US 10,643,493 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paper Education Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alef Omega, Inc.
• Inventors: Randono, Andrew, Westman, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hillery, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/886,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20180218638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/025 with electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• 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

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for low-latency math expression manipulation, communication, and collaboration across multiple peer devices. A controlling peer device can detect a drag node event, pass a network ID of a selected node to at least a second peer device, where the second peer device can locally process the network ID and update a local instantiation of an expression tree and UI rendered from the local expression tree. The controlling device can generate drop regions based on the selected node and the existing tree structure and pass an indication of the drop region to the second peer device. The controlling peer device can detect release of the dragged node within a drop region and pass a network ID of the drop region to the second peer device, which then locally updates its expression tree and UI based on the network ID of the drop region.

Claims

1. A method of low-latency math expression manipulation, communication, and collaboration across multiple peer devices, the method comprising:

providing a first local mathematical expression tree on a first peer device and a second local mathematical expression tree on a second peer device, wherein renderings of the first and second local mathematical expression trees appear as the same expressions on respective graphical user interfaces of the first and second peer devices;

detecting, at the first peer device, that a user is dragging a portion of the expression, the portion identified as a picked node in the first local mathematical expression tree;

identifying, via the first peer device, a plurality of drop regions in the first local mathematical expression tree;

sending at least an identification of the picked node from the first peer device to the second peer device;

detecting, via the first peer device, a collision between the portion of the first expression being dragged by the user and a first drop region;

sending at least an identification of the first drop region from the first to the second peer device, and in response to the identification of the first drop region and the picked node, animating the second expression;

detecting, via the first peer device, that the user has released the portion of the first expression in proximity to a triggered drop region;

sending at least an identification of the triggered drop region to the second peer device; and

determining, via the second peer device, a rearrangement of the second local mathematical expression tree based on the identification of the picked node and the identification of the triggered drop region, and rendering the rearrangement of the second local mathematical expression tree.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the picked node is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the picked node is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array, and wherein the identification of the picked node comprises the network ID array.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the network ID array comprises at least three values:

a network ID for the picked node;

a network ID of a parent of the picked node; and

a Sibling Index of the picked node.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the drop regions is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the drop regions is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array, and wherein the identification of the one of the drop regions comprises the network ID array for the one of the drop regions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the network ID array comprises at least three values:

a network ID for a given drop region;

a network ID of a parent of the given drop region, and a Sibling Index of the given drop region.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, via the first peer device, a rearrangement of the first local mathematical expression tree based on the identification of the picked node and the identification of the triggered drop region, and rendering the rearrangement of the first local mathematical expression tree.

9. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, encoded with processor readable instructions to perform a method for low-latency math expression manipulation, communication, and collaboration across multiple peer devices, the method comprising:

providing a first local mathematical expression tree on a first peer device and a second local mathematical expression tree on a second peer device, wherein renderings of the first and second local mathematical expression trees appear as the same expressions on respective graphical user interfaces of the first and second peer devices;

detecting, at the first peer device, that a user is dragging a portion of the expression, the portion identified as a picked node in the first local mathematical expression tree;

identifying, via the first peer device, a plurality of drop regions in the first local mathematical expression tree;

sending at least an identification of the picked node from the first peer device to the second peer device;

detecting, via the first peer device, a collision between the portion of the first expression being dragged by the user and a first drop region;

sending at least an identification of the first drop region from the first to the second peer device, and in response to the identification of the first drop region and the picked node, animating the second expression;

detecting, via the first peer device, that the user has released the portion of the first expression in proximity to a triggered drop region;

sending at least an identification of the triggered drop region to the second peer device; and

determining, via the second peer device, a rearrangement of the second local mathematical expression tree based on the identification of the picked node and the identification of the triggered drop region, and rendering the rearrangement of the second local mathematical expression tree.

10. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the picked node is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array.

11. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 9, wherein the picked node is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array, and wherein the identification of the picked node comprises the network ID array.

12. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 11, wherein the network ID array comprises at least three values:

a network ID for the picked node;

a network ID of a parent of the picked node; and

a Sibling Index of the picked node.

13. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 10, wherein each of the drop regions is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array.

14. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 11, wherein each of the drop regions is associated with a node type, a local ID, and a network ID array, and wherein the identification of the one of the drop regions comprises the network ID array for the one of the drop regions.

15. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 14, wherein the network ID array comprises at least three values:

a network ID for a given drop region;

a network ID of a parent of the given drop region, and a Sibling Index of the given drop region.

16. The non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium claim 9, further comprising determining, via the first peer device, a rearrangement of the first local mathematical expression tree based on the identification of the picked node and the identification of the triggered drop region, and rendering the rearrangement of the first local mathematical expression tree.