Systems and methodologies comprising a plurality of computing appliances having input apparatus and display apparatus and logically structured as a main team

• US 8,918,723 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collaboration Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: David H Sitrick
• Inventors: Sitrick, David H, Fling, Russell T
• Primary Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/102,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/753, 715/758, 715/751
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system and methodology for collaboration, comprising a plurality of computing appliances, and control logic for logically structuring the plurality of computing appliances as a main team. At least two of the computing appliances have input apparatus and display apparatus. The main team is comprised of a plurality of sub-teams, wherein each of the sub-teams is comprised of at least one of the plurality of computing appliances. Communications logic provides at least two levels of data communication and display presentation, a first level as between all of the plurality of computing appliances on the team, and a second set of a plurality of second levels as between those said computing appliances on each same said sub-team. Each of the computing appliances is associated with a respective one of said second set of levels. Display presentation apparatus provides a first display presentation to each of the computing appliances on the same said team, comprising a display presentation responsive to the respective first level, and provides a second display presentation to each of the computing appliances on a same sub-team, for a respective one of the second set of levels that is associated with the respective computing appliances. Communications apparatus provides audio communications among all the computing appliances that are associated with the same respective said level. In an alternate embodiment, a separate communications channel is associated with each said level and provides a separate level of audio communications among the respective computing appliances associated with a respective one of said levels.

Claims

1. A method for use by a plurality of users to collaborate, each of the users having an input apparatus for providing an input of user generated data, the method comprising:

providing a display presentation to each said user for an interactive game responsive to gaming data;

selecting a portion of the display presentation as a common image;

providing a display presentation of the common image to at least two of the users;

permitting concurrent input by each of multiple of the users, wherein the input is made while viewing the common image, wherein the input of each said user generates respective annotation data;

mapping said annotation data to be associated with said user providing the input;

providing storage in non-transitory memory structured as a plurality of data layers;

mapping each of said data layers to be associated with at least one said user, as an index used for storage and retrieval of the annotation data as input by said at least one user;

providing storage and retrieval of the annotation data of each said user in a separate one of said data layers that is associated with the respective said user, responsive to the mapping said annotation data and to the mapping each of said data layers;

providing a selection of selected members from the plurality of users;

retrieving respective said annotation data from the data layers associated with the selected members; and

,

providing a member display presentation representative of the input generated by the selected members, provided responsive to the respective said annotation data retrieved from the data layers associated with the selected members.

2. The method as in claim 1:

wherein the providing a member display presentation is representative of the input generated by the selected members combined with the display presentation of the common image.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

saving the gaming data associated with a first time responsive to the selecting a portion of the display presentation as a common image; and

,

retrieving the gaming data associated with the first time;

wherein the providing a member display presentation is representative of the input generated by the selected members combined with the display presentation as a common image, responsive to the retrieving the gaming data associated with the first time and to the retrieving respective said annotation data from the data layers associated with the selected annotation data associated with the selected members.

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

selecting a portion of the display presentation as of a first time, to provide associated gaming data utilized to provide the common image; and

,

providing the member display presentation responsive to the respective said user generated data retrieved from the data layers associated with the selected members, and to the gaming data.

5. The system as in claim 1,

wherein at least one of the users is also a player of the interactive game.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

associating each of at least two of the users as members of a team with a respective one of a plurality of computing appliances, wherein each of the computing appliances is comprised of a display apparatus;

providing an initial display of a common image for viewing on the display apparatus of the members of the team, wherein said input apparatus at each of at least two of the computing appliances provide the annotation data responsive to the input of each said user as made by said user, to provide an image of annotations that appear at a user-defined position relative to the display of the common image on the display apparatus of the user providing the input,

the method further comprising;

providing the member display presentation to at least two of the members of said main team, comprising an image of the annotations as made by each of at least two of the members of the main team, appearing at the respective said user-defined position relative to the base image in the first display presentation, as chosen by the user making the input.

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

associating each of the plurality of users as members of a main-team;

associating at least two of the members of the main team as members of a sub-team;

generating a first display presentation responsive to the data layers that are associated with the members of the main team; and

,

generating a second display presentation responsive to the data layers that are associated with the members of the sub-team.

8. The system as in claim 7, associating at least two of the members of said sub-team as members of a sub-group;

and,

generating a third display presentation for viewing by the members of said sub-group responsive to the annotation data associated with the members of said subgroup.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising at least one of:

providing additional communications of at least one of voice, audio, and video, originated by the members of the main team, among the computing appliances of the members of the main team;

providing additional communications of at least one of voice, audio, and video, originated by the members of the sub-team, among the computing appliances of the members of the sub-team; and

,

providing further additional communications of at least one of voice, audio, and video, originated by the members of the sub-group, among the computing appliances of the members of the sub-group.

10. The method as in claim 7,

wherein there are a plurality of the subteams,

wherein each of the subteams a separate version of said second display presentation that is associated with said sub-team.

11. A method of collaborating among a plurality of users each at a respective one of a plurality of computing appliances each with a local display apparatus and an input apparatus, the method comprising:

logically associating a plurality of computing appliances as members of a main team;

providing a video display presentation on the local display apparatus of the members of the main team;

providing annotation data for annotations made by the user for each of at least two of the members of the main team;

permitting concurrent input by a plurality of the users, wherein the input is made while viewing the video display presentation, wherein the input of each said user generates respective annotation data;

communicating first data, related to a first display presentation, between the computing appliances associated with members of the main team responsive to the annotation data associated with the users that are the members of the main team;

providing the first display presentation on the local display apparatus of each of the computing appliances associated with the users that are the members of the main team, responsive to said communication of the first data.

12. The method as in claim 11,

wherein the main team is comprised of a plurality of separate subteams, wherein each of separate sub-teams is comprised of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances that are the members of the main team;

the method further comprising;

communicating second data, related to a second display presentation, between the computing appliances associated with the users that are the members for each said separate subteam, responsive to the annotation data associated with the users that are the members of said subteam;

and,

providing the second display presentation on the display apparatus of each of the computing appliances associated with the members of said separate sub-team, wherein a separate said second display presentation is provided to the members of each said subteam, comprising at least in part a combination of the annotation data for the members of said separate subteam.

13. A system for use by a plurality of users relative to a playing an interactive game, the system comprising:

a plurality of computing apparatus each having a display apparatus and an input apparatus for providing an input of user generated data,

wherein each of the users is associated with a respective one of the computing apparatus,

wherein the display apparatus provides a display presentation to each of the users of an interactive game having associated gaming data associated with the display presentation at each of a plurality of times;

logic selecting a portion of the display presentation as of a first time, to provide a common image;

input logic permitting concurrent input by each the users to be made while viewing the common image, to generate the user generated data for each said input;

user association logic mapping said user generated data for each said input to be associated with said user providing the input;

non-transitory memory providing storage in a plurality of data layers,

layer association logic mapping each of said data layers to be associated with at least one user, as an index for storage and retrieval of the user generated data as input by respective said at least one user;

control logic providing storage and retrieval of the user generated data associated with each said user in a separate said data layer from a plurality of data layers that is associated with the respective said user, responsive to the mapping said user generated data and mapping each of said data layers;

member selection logic providing selection of selected members from the plurality of users, wherein the control logic provides the retrieving of respective said user generated data from the data layers associated with the selected members; and

,

member display logic providing a member display presentation representative of the input generated by the selected members, provided responsive to the respective said user generated data retrieved from the data layers associated with the selected members.

14. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

sub-member selection logic providing a selection of selected sub-members from the plurality of members, wherein the control logic provides the retrieving of the respective said user generated data from the data layers associated with the selected members; and

,

sub-member display logic providing a sub-member display presentation representative of the input generated by the selected sub-members, provided responsive to the respective said user generated data retrieved from the data layers associated with the selected sub-members.

15. The system as in claim 13,

wherein the logic selecting a portion of the display presentation as of a first time, provides associated gaming data utilized to provide the common image.

16. The system as in claim 13,

wherein the member display logic member provides the member display presentation responsive to the respective said user generated data retrieved from the data layers associated with the selected members, and to the gaming data.

17. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

providing a resumed display presentation of the interactive video game by re-starting the display presentation from the display presentation that existed at said first time.

18. The system as in claim 13, further comprising:

team logic associating at least two of the plurality of computing appliances as members of a main team;

subteam logic associating at least two of the computing appliances of the main team as members of a sub-team;

team communications logic providing communication of between the computing appliances on the main team, and for each of the sub-teams,

subteam communications logic providing communication among the computing appliances on said sub-team; and

wherein said display presentation apparatus provides a first display presentation to all the members of the main team, of the annotations associated with at least two of the members of the main team, responsive to the team communications, and

wherein said display presentation apparatus provides a second display presentation on the display apparatus of each of the computing appliances of the members of said sub-team, responsive to the subteam communications.

19. The system as in claim 18,

memory logic providing structured storage comprising a plurality of separate data layers for non-transitory storage of the annotation data from each said user,

the system further comprising:

mapping logic for associating each of the plurality of users with a respective one of a plurality of storage data layers in providing for storage of the annotation data originating from the users associated with the respective said data layer;

wherein the mapping logic associates a corresponding set of the data layers that are associated with the members of the main team as a main-team set of data layers,

wherein the annotation data originating from each of the users is stored in the data layer associated with the user, responsive to the mapping logic;

wherein the first display presentation is generated responsive to the mapping logic and the main team set of data layers.

20. The system as in claim 13, wherein each said user is permitted to provide input of annotations made relative to the common image, to provide the annotation data associated with the annotations;

wherein the member display presentation is provided responsive to the annotation data associated with the selected members, comprising an image of said annotations associated with the selected members and the common image, to provide a display to the members of the main team, of an image of said annotations aligned to overlay the common image.