SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COLLABORATIVE INTERACTION

• US 20110239129A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Christopher Bunton, Judy Kay, Robert James Kummerfeld
• Original Assignee: James Christopher Bunton, Judy Kay, Robert James Kummerfeld
• Inventors: Bunton, James Christopher, Kummerfeld, Robert James, Kay, Judy
• Application Number:
  US12/993,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/750
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for allowing multiple users to interact utilising a common user interface, the method comprising the steps of: for each user, receiving input data from said user and displaying said input in a user interface portion associated with the user, and, on receiving an instruction from the user, transferring the input data to a common interface portion viewable by the multiple users.

Claims

1. A method for allowing multiple users to interact utilising a common user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

for each user, receiving input data from said user and displaying said input in a user interface portion associated with the user, and, on receiving an instruction from the user, transferring the input data to a common interface portion viewable by the multiple users.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising the further step of, on receiving input data from the multiple users, providing a collating function arranged to allow the multiple users to collate multiple instances of input data utilising an arbitrary collating mechanism.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the user interface portion and the common interface portion is a window arranged to display text.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a window to be moved such that the window overlaps at least one other window.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a closed shape to be drawn around a plurality of windows.

6. A method in accordance with claim 3 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a window to be placed within another window.

7. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the arbitrary collating mechanism allows the user to ascribe at least one of metadata and additional data to each collation of input.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising the further step of displaying the input data in the common user interface in a manner which substantially de-identifies the origin of the data.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, comprising the further step of detecting the presence of an additional input device, such that, when a new input device is connected to the computing system, a new user interface portion is provided for the user.

10. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the collated instances of data may be saved to a file.

11. A method in accordance with claim 3, whereby the step of moving the window comprises the user performing a dragging motion of the window by using at least one of a finger/stylus/mouse.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and common interface portions are located on a unitary interface.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the interface is a tabletop computing system interface.

27. A computer program comprising at least one instruction which, when implemented on a computer readable medium of a computer system, causes the computer system to implement the method in accordance with claim 1.

28. A computer readable medium providing a computer program in accordance with claim 27.

14. A system allowing multiple users to interact utilising a common user interface, comprising:

a module arranged to receive input data from said user and a display arranged to display said input in a user interface portion associated with the user, wherein, on receiving an instruction from the user, the input data is transferred to a common interface portion viewable by the multiple users.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, comprising the further step of, on receiving input data from the multiple users, providing a collating function arranged to allow the multiple users to collate multiple instances of input data utilising an arbitrary collating mechanism.

16. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein at least one of the user interface portion and the common interface portion is a window arranged to display text.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 when dependent on claim 15, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a window to be moved such that the window overlaps at least one other window.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16 when dependent on claim 15, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a closed shape to be drawn around a plurality of windows.

19. A system in accordance with claim 16 when dependent on claim 15, wherein the collating function is invoked when a user causes a window to be placed within another window.

20. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the arbitrary collating mechanism allows the user to ascribe at least one of metadata and additional data to each collation of input.

21. A system in accordance with claim 14, comprising the further step of displaying the input data in the common user interface in a manner which substantially de-identifies the origin of the data.

22. A system in accordance with claim 14, comprising the further step of detecting the presence of an additional input device, such that, when a new input device is connected to the computing system, a new user interface portion is provided for the user.

23. A system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the collated instances of data may be saved to a file.

24. A system in accordance with claim 16, whereby the step of moving the window comprises the user performing a dragging motion of the window by using at least one of a finger/stylus/mouse.

25. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the first and common interface portions are located on a unitary interface.

26. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the interface is a tabletop computing system interface.