System and method for collaboration via team and role designation and control and management of annotations

• US 9,330,366 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• 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): Nguyen, Kira
• Application Number:
  US13/102,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/751, 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations

Abstract

A system and methodology for collaborating. The system and method utilize a plurality of computing appliances, each assigned a respective team designation and a respective role designation. Team control logic is responsive to a respective said team designation, to control operation of each respective said computing appliance to operate as a part of a group. Within a defined Team, the plurality of computing appliances operate having a defined set of roles. Role control logic controls operations of a respective one of the computing appliances in accordance with functionality as defined responsive to the respective said role designation for that respective one of the plurality of computing appliances. Each of the plurality of computing appliances is assigned a respective team designation and a respective role designation. Memory storage is structured as a plurality of mapped data layers, for associative storage of user input mapped by user to a respective one of the data layers. Thereafter, responsive to the respective team control logic and the role control logic, each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances utilizes a respective associated said data layer in the memory for associated storage of annotation data representative of annotations as originated at that respective one, for the at least two of the plurality of computing appliances. Display logic selects which of the plurality of data layers are selected data layers utilized to locally generate a display presentation that is provided at each of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances.

Claims

1. A system for collaborating, the system comprising:

a plurality of computing appliances, each having an input apparatus and a display apparatus, said input apparatus providing an input of annotations providing associated annotation data having an associated display image, and said display apparatus providing a local presentation;

memory storage comprised of a plurality of areas of memory providing non-transitory storage;

mapping logic, associating for a plurality of the areas of memory, at least one said area of memory with a data layer that is associated with at least one of the computing appliances, wherein there are a plurality of said data layers, wherein a separate said data layer is mapped as associated with each said computing appliance for each of at least two of the computing appliances;

storage logic providing storage of the annotation data in the separate said data layer associated with the computing appliance providing the input of the annotation data, for each of said at least two of the computing appliances;

selection logic selecting at least one of the data layers from the plurality of data layers to be selected data layers; and

providing the local presentation on the display apparatus of at least one of the plurality of computing appliances, responsive to at least a part of the annotation data from the selected data layers.

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

local memory, at each of the at least two of said computing appliances, each said local memory utilizing the mapping logic to provide a same association of each of a plurality of the areas of memory to be mapped to an associated said data layer of the plurality of said data layers,

wherein each said local memory provides storage of a duplicate set of data layers, wherein one said duplicate set is located at each of the at least two of said computing appliances;

wherein the stored annotation data as input by one said computing appliance is stored in an associated said data layer in said duplicate set within said one said computing appliance, and thereafter provides storage of a copy of the annotation data from the associated data layer in the one said computing appliance, to be stored in a same corresponding said data layer within each said duplicate set for at least one other one of the computing appliances, providing storage of the annotation data associated with input from a respective said computing appliance associated with said corresponding said data layer, for each of said at least two said computing appliances.

3. The system as in claim 1,

wherein at least two said computing appliances are associated as a first group;

wherein at least two other said computing appliances are associated as a second group;

wherein each of said at least two said computing appliances associated as the first group utilizes a first plurality of said data layers for storage of the annotation data associated with the computing appliances that are associated as the first group;

wherein each said computing appliance associated as the second group utilizes a second plurality of said data layers for storage of the annotation data associated with the computing appliances that associated as the second group.

4. The system as in claim 1,

wherein input is provided from each of at least two of the computing appliances while a same said local presentation is provided for viewing on the display apparatus at each of the at least two of the computing appliances.

5. The system as in claim 1,

wherein a first one of the computing appliances provides a combined local presentation generated responsive to the annotation data associated with a plurality of the computing appliances, to provide a simultaneous display of multiple-windows of a display presentation comprised of at least one of:

a first window of display presentation comprised of a respective said local presentation that appears at at least one other said computing appliance, and, a second window of display presentation comprised of a display of the local presentation associated with said first one of the computing appliances, and, a third window of display presentation comprised of at least a part of each of at said local presentations that appear at at least two other said computing appliances.

6. The system as in claim 1,

wherein a same initial display presentation is provided as the local presentation to each of said at least two said computing appliances;

wherein the input of the annotations at each said computing appliance is made such that the associated display images of the annotations appear in the local presentation of the computing appliance providing the input,

wherein at each of said at least one of the computing appliances, the associated display images of the annotations for a least two of said computing appliances are displayed in the local presentation.

7. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the input from at least one said computing appliance defines which of the data layers are the selected data layers for use in generating the local presentation for said at least one said computing appliance.

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

display logic initially providing a same local presentation as an initial display presentation at each of at least two said computing appliances;

wherein thereafter the local presentation on the display apparatus at at least one of said computing appliances is comprised at least in part of the associated images of the annotations associated with at least part of the annotation data stored in the selected layers displayed with at least a part of the initial display presentation.

9. The system as in claim 6,

wherein the initial display presentation at each of the at least two of the computing appliances is generated responsive to application software.

10. The system as in claim 6,

wherein the initial display presentation is comprised of at least a part of a display presentation from an interactive game.

11. The system as in claim 1,

wherein each of the memory is comprised of local memory located in at least one of the computing appliances, and server memory located external to the computing appliances,

wherein the local memory and the server memory provide for provide for storage of the annotation data in a duplicate set of data layers structured in the local memory and the server memory, so that the storage of the annotation data is duplicated and stored in a corresponding said data layer within each said duplicate set of data layers,

wherein each said duplicate set of data layers provides storing of the annotation data in the corresponding said data layer that is associated with a respective said computing appliance, responsive to the mapping logic.

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

display logic initially providing a same local presentation as an initial display presentation at each of at least two of the at least two said computing appliances;

wherein the initial display presentation is comprised of a display presentation providing a display of at least one of;

an image, a photo, a video, text, a video camera output, a digital video file, medical imaging, instant messaging, email, video conferencing, handwritten text, handwritten annotations, an image provided by a user of at least one of the computing appliances, an interactive game, a Word document, an Excel document, at least a portion of a display from browser software, and, an associated display presentation from a computer data file.

13. The system as in claim 1,

wherein at least part of the local presentation for each of said at least two said computing appliances is provided responsive to application software.

14. The system as in claim 11,

wherein the storage, in the duplicate sets of data layers in the local memory and the storage in the duplicate sets of data layers in the server memory, is synchronized to maintain updated duplicate storage in the areas of memory in each of the duplicate sets of data layers.

15. The system as in claim 1,

wherein at least two of the plurality of computer appliances each utilize a same plurality of the data layers in providing its said local presentation.

16. The system as in claim 12,

wherein the input of the annotations is provided from at least two of the computing appliances, so that the associated images of said annotations appear in the local presentation displayed along with at least a part of the initial display presentation.

17. The system as in claim 1,

wherein a same plurality of the data layers are utilized as the selected data layers for providing the local presentation on the display apparatus at each of said at least two said computing appliances.

18. The system as in claim 1,

wherein a different plurality of the data layers are utilized as the selected data layers, at each of said at least two said computing appliances.

19. The system as in claim 3,

wherein each said computing appliance that is associated as the first group, utilizes a same part of the first plurality of said data layers as said selected layers;

and,

wherein each said computing appliance that is associated as the second group, utilizes at least a same part of the second plurality of said data layers as said selected layers.

20. The system as in claim 9,

wherein the application software is comprised of at least one of:

email client software, Facebook software, conferencing software, browser software, application sharing software, interactive gaming software, word processing software, animation software, graphics software, photo-imaging software, instant messaging software, social networking software, and text messaging software.

21. The system as in claim 6,

wherein the associated images of the annotations as input by each said computing appliance, appear in the local presentation at said computing appliance, and are displayed in the local presentation as at least one of:

displayed relative to and overlaid atop at least a portion of the display of the initial display presentation at said computing appliance, displayed along with at least a portion of the display of the initial display presentation at said computing appliance, and displayed along with at least a portion of the display of the annotations as input by a plurality of said computing appliances.

37. The method as in claim 1,

wherein the memory is further comprised of local memory located in at least one of the computer appliances, and server memory located external to the computing appliances,

wherein the local memory and the server memory each provide storage to store a duplicated set of a same plurality of said data layers,

wherein each said duplicated set utilizes a same said associative mapping of the data layers within each said duplicated set, for storing and retrieving the annotation data as mapped to a corresponding associated one of said computing appliances;

and,

wherein storage of the annotation data stored in the local memory and the server memory are synchronized to update the storage in the data layers within each of the duplicated sets of data layers.

38. The system as in claim 1, wherein the memory is comprised of server memory located external to the computing appliances,

wherein the server memory provides for storing the annotation data associated with input by each of a plurality of the computing appliances, in a corresponding said data layer within a set of a plurality of data layers, utilizing an associative mapping of the data layers within said set of a plurality of data layers to corresponding associated said computing appliances in accordance with the mapping logic;

and,

wherein the annotation data stored in the server memory is updated with the annotation data as provided by at least one of the computing appliances, to provide the storage of the annotation data in associated said data layers within the set of the plurality of data layers.

39. The system as in claim 38,

wherein the memory is further comprised of local memory located in each one of at least two of the computer appliances;

and,

wherein the annotation data stored in the server memory is duplicated and stored in the local memory and is synchronized to update the storage in the local memory located in each one of said at least two of the computer appliances and in the server memory.

48. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the mapping logic is in part comprised of at least one of:

a database,

a relational database,

an indexed list,

a b-tree,

a linked list,

a table, and

an ordered list of pointers.

49. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the annotation data further comprises at least one property;

wherein the selection logic is responsive to the properties associated with the annotation data.

50. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the annotation data further comprises at least one property;

wherein the property comprises at least one of;

text font,

text color,

text style,

line width,

line color,

line style, and

wherein the properties control the appearance of lines and text in the local presentation.

51. The system as in claim 50,

wherein the property comprises at least one of:

user providing the annotation,

location of computing appliance,

time that the annotation was created,

time that the annotation was modified,

group,

subgroup, and

computing appliance where the annotation was input.

22. A method for collaborating among a plurality of users, each of the plurality of users associated with and using a respective one of a plurality of computing appliances each having a display apparatus providing a local presentation, and an input apparatus providing an input of annotations providing associated annotation data having an associated display image, the method comprising:

structuring a memory as a plurality of areas of memory;

mapping each of the plurality of areas of memory to be logically associated as one of a plurality of data layers, wherein each said data layer is associated with an associated said computing appliance for each of at least two of the computing appliances;

providing the associated annotation data provided via the input apparatus of each of said at least two of the plurality of computing appliances;

storing the associated annotation data as input by each said computing appliance in the data layer associated with the computing appliance that provided the input, per the mapping;

selecting from the data layers associated with said at least two of the plurality of computing appliances, as to which of said plurality of data layers are selected as selected layers; and

generating the local presentation at at least one of said at least two of the plurality of computing appliances, responsive to at least a part of the annotation data stored in the selected layers.

23. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

permitting concurrent input of said associated annotation data via the input apparatus of at least two of the plurality of computing appliances,

wherein the concurrent input of said associated annotation data from each said computing appliance is stored in the data layer associated with said computing appliance that provided the input.

24. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

storing a logical mapping in at least one said computing appliance, said logical mapping defining the mapping associating each of at least two of the plurality of areas of memory with a data structure for a respective said data layer providing storing of the annotation data as input by a respective one of the plurality of computing appliances, for associating the annotation data as input by each said computing appliance with a respective separate one of the data layers.

25. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

determining which of the plurality of data layers are the selected layers for a respective said computing appliance, for each of at least two of said computing appliances; and

generating the local presentation at each of the at least two said computing appliances responsive to the selected layers for said computing appliance.

26. The method as in claim 22,

wherein at at least one of the computing appliances, the local presentation is comprised of one of:

a part of a simultaneous multiple-window display presentation provided on the display apparatus at said one of the computing appliances; and

, a simultaneous multiple-window display presentation provided on the display apparatus at said one of the computing appliances, comprised of a first window of display presentation providing a display duplicating the local display that appears on at least one other one of the plurality of computing appliances, and a second window of display presentation comprising the local presentation that appears on said at least one said computing appliance.

27. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

providing a display presentation on the display apparatus of a first said computing appliance, utilizing the annotation data from the data layer associated with said first said computing appliance, and utilizing the annotation data associated with the data layers that are associated with at least one other of the computing appliances.

28. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

wherein at least two of the computing appliances utilize a first set of said data layers selected from the plurality of data layers, to provide storage in the associated data layer, of the annotation data associated with each of said at least two of the computing appliances, stored in the associated said data layer associated with the computing appliance associated with the data input;

wherein the selected layers associated with each said computing appliance of said at least two computing appliances is selected from the first set of said data layers to select a subset of the first set of said data layers, as said selected layers,

wherein for each said computing appliance of said at least two computing appliances, the selected layers associated with said computing appliance are utilized to generate the local presentation.

29. The method as in claim 22, further comprising:

associating at least two of the computing appliances to utilize a same plurality of the data layers to store the annotation data associated with each of the at least two of the computer appliances; and

,

associating at least two other of the computing appliances to utilize a different plurality of the data layers to store the annotation data associated with each of the at least two other of the computing appliances.

30. The method as in claim 22,

wherein the memory is comprised of local memory located in at least one of the computer appliances, and server memory located external to the computing appliances,

wherein the local memory and the server memory each store a duplicated set of data layers providing storage of a same plurality of said annotation data that is stored in duplicate within each said duplicated set of data layers, utilizing a same said associative mapping of the data layers within each said duplicated set to a corresponding associated said computing appliance;

and,

wherein the storage of the annotation data stored in the duplicated sets in the local memory and in the server memory, is synchronized to update the storage in the data layers within each of the duplicated sets of data layers.

31. The method as in claim 22,

structuring, in local memory within each of at each of at least two of the computing appliances, duplicate sets of local data layers providing duplicated storage of the annotation data for a respective plurality of associated said computing appliances;

assigning a same said data layer in each of the duplicate sets, as associated for storage of said annotation data as input by the associated said computing appliance, for each of said at least two said computing appliances; and

storing in each of the duplicate sets, the associated said annotation data responsive to the input from the associated said computing appliance for each of said at least two of the computing appliances, stored in the data layer associated with said computing appliance.

32. The method as in claim 22,

wherein the user of at least one said computing appliance provides selection from the data layers to select the selected layers.

40. The method as in claim 22,

wherein for at least one of said computing appliances, the user of said computing appliance provides selection from the annotations to select selected ones of the annotations to be utilized by said computing appliance to provide the local presentation at said computing appliance.

41. The method as in claim 31, further comprising:

utilizing the annotation data associated with a plurality of said data layers to form duplicate set of data layers at each of the at least two of said computing appliances;

wherein each said duplicate set of data layers provides storage of the annotation data associated with a respective said computing appliance in a same said data layer within each said duplicate set of data layers, for each of said at least two said computing appliances.

47. The method as in claim 22,

wherein for at least one of said computing appliances, the user of each said computing appliance provides selection from the annotations to select selected ones of the annotations to be utilized by said computing appliance to provide the local presentation at said computing appliance.

33. A method for collaborating among a plurality of users each at one of a plurality of computing appliances, each said computing appliance having a display apparatus providing a local presentation, and an input apparatus providing an input of annotations providing associated annotation data having an associated display image, the method comprising:

associating at least two of the computing appliances as in a group;

structuring memory storage as a plurality of mapped data layers, each said data layer associated with one of the computing appliances in the group, for at least two of the computing appliances as in a group;

associatively mapping for associating each said data layer with one said computing appliance in the group, for at least two of the computing appliances;

providing the associated annotation data, from at least two of the computing appliances in the group;

storing the annotation data from each of the at least two of the computing appliances in said data layer that is associated with the computing appliance associated with the input of the annotation data, for each of said at least two of the computing appliances in the group;

selecting as selected data layers from the plurality of data layers; and

generating the local presentation on the display apparatus of at least one of the computing appliances in the group, responsive to the annotation data stored in the selected data layers.

34. The method as in claim 33,

wherein an initial display presentation is provided as the local presentation on the display apparatus of each of said computing appliances in the group;

wherein at each of at least two of the computing appliances in the group, a video presentation of the associated images of the annotations associated with said computing apparatus that appears in the local display presentation provided on the display apparatus of said computing appliance along with at least a part of the initial display presentation.

35. The method as in claim 33,

wherein an initial display presentation is provided as the local presentation to each of said computing appliances in the group,

wherein the input of the annotations is made while a display is provided of the initial presentation,

wherein said initial display presentation is comprised of a display provided from at least one of:

an image, a photo, at least a part of a video display, text, a display from a video camera, a display from a digital video file, a display from browser software, a display of medical imaging, a display from instant messaging, a display from email, a display from video conferencing, input of handwritten text from one of the computing appliances, handwritten annotations, images provided by a user at one of the computing appliances, a display captured from an interactive game during play of the interactive game, a Word document file having an associated display presentation, an Excel file having an associated display presentation, an image file having an associated display presentation and a computer data file having an associated display presentation.

36. The system as in claim 33,

wherein each of least two of the plurality of computer appliances utilize a same plurality of the data layers in providing the said local presentation on the display apparatus of said computing appliance.

42. The method as in claim 33,

wherein the initial display presentation at a first one of the computing appliances is provided at least in part responsive to browser software, and

wherein thereafter the local presentation provided at least at one other of the computing appliances in the group is comprised, at least in part, of the associated images of the annotations appearing in the local presentation at the first one of the computing appliances, displayed along with at least a part of the initial display presentation, providing a display of the display image of the annotations associated with input by at least two of the computing appliances.

43. The method as in claim 33,

wherein the memory storage of said annotation data in associated said data layers, is duplicated to provide a duplicate set of said data layers stored in each of said at least two of the computing appliances in the group;

wherein the annotation data associated with each said computing appliance is stored in the associated said data layer in each said duplicate set of said data layers, that is associated with the computing appliance associated with the input of the annotation data as stored, for each of said at least two of the computing appliances in the group.

44. The method as in claim 33, further comprising:

permitting concurrent input of the annotations from at least two of the computing appliances in the group.

45. The method as in claim 34,

wherein the local presentation provided at at least one of the computing appliances in the group is comprised of the associated display images of the annotations associated with at least part of the annotation data stored in the selected data layers, displayed along with the initial display presentation, to provide the local presentation at said at least one of the computing appliances in the group.

46. The system as in claim 33,

wherein each of least two of the plurality of computer appliances utilize a different plurality of the data layers in providing the said local presentation on the display apparatus of said computing appliance.