Managing obstructed views of multiple display surfaces

• US 9,196,224 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/006,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,885 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for managing multiple overlapping electronic displays are disclosed, including the electronic displays of electronic paper, electronic books, computer monitors, and other electronic display devices. In one embodiment, a method includes sensing an overlap area of a first display and a second display relative to a specified view location, determining a nearest unobstructed display to the specified view location, and displaying within the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display a highest priority information from among first and second information.

Claims

1. An electronic display apparatus, comprising:

a first display;

a second display;

a third display;

one or more sensors configured to detect the second display relative to the first display, to detect the third display relative to the second display; and

to detect the third display relative to the first display; and

a processing component operatively coupled to the one or more sensors and to at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display, the processing component configured to;

determine an overlap area of the first display, the second display, and the third display relative to one another and a specified view location, wherein the overlap area includes a first portion of at least one of the first display, the second display, and the third display that is overlapped by a second portion of at least one of the other of the first display, the second display, and the third display;

determine a nearest unobstructed display among the first display, the second display, and the third display relative to the specified view location; and

operatively communicate with at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display to cooperatively enable to be displayed within the nearest unobstructed display a highest priority information from the overlap area,

wherein the highest priority information is displayed on at least two of the first display, the second display, and the third display when the highest priority information is included in the overlap area and a non-overlap area of at least one of the first display, second display, and third display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense a position indicium of the at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display, and the processing component is configured to determine the overlap area using the position indicium.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display comprises an electronic document, or a monitor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display, the second display, or the third display comprises an electronic paper device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to:

determine a highest priority area associated with the highest priority information, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

operatively communicate with the at least one other display device to cooperatively enable to be displayed within the highest priority area of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display the highest priority information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to determine the overlap area using a first orientation indicium relating to the first display and a second orientation indicium relating to the at least one of the second display or the third display.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first display is rotated with respect to the at least one of the second display or the third display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing component is further configured to:

determine a highest priority area associated with the highest priority information, the highest priority area being less than or equal to the overlap area; and

cause to be displayed within the highest priority area of the overlap area of the nearest unobstructed display the highest priority information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are coupled to the first display.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are distal from the first display.