Techniques for synchronization of a print menu and document annotation renderings between a computing device and a mobile device logged in to the same account

• US 9,606,976 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vagell, Vance Julius
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mrabi, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US14/546,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 715/230
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes providing, from a server including one or more processors, a user interface element to a first computing device, wherein the first computing device is associated with a user, and the server determines that the user is associated with a second computing device that is a mobile computing device having a digital display and is logged into an account at both the first and second computing devices. The method further includes receiving a user request for a rendering of a document issued by the first computing device upon selection of the user interface element by a user, and transmitting a command to the second computing device that causes the second computing device to automatically display the rendering of the document. The method further includes receiving and storing annotation information corresponding to one or more annotations to the rendering made at the second computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, by a computing system including one or more processors, that (i) a computing device and a mobile computing device are at least one of (a) both registered to a particular user and (b) both logged into a same account associated with the particular user and (ii) a document is currently being edited by the computing device;

in response to the detecting and without additional input via the computing device and the mobile computing device, coordinating, by the computing system, the display of an option comprising least one of (i) an additional menu element in an existing menu at the computing device and (ii) an additional icon in an existing toolbar at the computing device, wherein at least one of (a) the existing menu did not include the additional menu element prior to the detecting and (b) the existing toolbar did not include the additional icon prior to the detecting;

receiving, at the computing system from the computing device, a request issued by the computing device upon selection of the option;

in response to receiving the request, coordinating, by the computing system, the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device;

receiving, at the computing system, an annotated rendering of the document, the annotated rendering including handwritten annotations made to the rendering of the document via a touch display of the mobile computing device; and

storing, at a memory of the computing system, the annotated rendering of the document.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the annotated rendering of the document includes one or more layers including the handwritten annotations and overlaying the rendering of the document, and wherein the one or more layers are separated based on at least one of (i) an annotation mode utilized to provide the handwritten annotations via the touch display of the mobile computing device and (ii) a time at which the handwritten annotations were made.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the computing system to a paper printer, the annotated rendering of the document, wherein receipt of the annotated rendering of the document causes the paper printer to print the annotated rendering of the document.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the rendering of the document and the annotated rendering of the document is an image file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coordinating of the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device is performed after receiving the request and in response to detecting a trigger condition relating to the particular user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of (i) a scheduled display time relating to the particular user and (ii) a geo-location of the mobile computing device being proximate to a geo-location relating to the particular user.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the display of the document at the mobile computing device includes (i) when the mobile computing device is in a sleep or inactive mode, waking up the mobile computing device or transitioning it to an active mode and (ii) initiating a special annotating mode of the mobile computing device during which the document cannot be modified.

7. A computing system having one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:

detecting that (i) a computing device and a mobile computing device are at least one of (a) both registered to a particular user and (b) both logged into a same account associated with the particular user and (ii) a document is currently being edited by the computing device;

in response to the detecting and without additional input via the computing device and the mobile computing device, coordinating the display of an option comprising least one of (i) an additional menu element in an existing menu at the computing device and (ii) an additional icon in an existing toolbar at the computing device, wherein at least one of (a) the existing menu did not include the additional menu element prior to the detecting and (b) the existing toolbar did not include the additional icon prior to the detecting; and

receiving, from the computing device, a request issued by the computing device upon selection of the option;

in response to receiving the request, coordinating the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device;

receiving an annotated rendering of the document, the annotated rendering including handwritten annotations made to the rendering of the document via a touch display of the mobile computing device; and

storing the annotated rendering of the document at a memory of the computing system.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the annotated rendering of the document includes one or more layers including the handwritten annotations and overlaying the rendering of the document, and wherein the one or more layers are separated based on at least one of (i) an annotation mode utilized to provide the handwritten annotations via the touch display of the mobile computing device and (ii) a time at which the handwritten annotations were made.

9. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, to a paper printer, the annotated rendering of the document, wherein receipt of the annotated rendering of the document causes the paper printer to print the annotated rendering of the document.

10. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the rendering of the document and the annotated rendering of the document is an image file.

11. The computing system of claim 7, wherein coordinating the display of the document at the mobile computing device includes (i) when the mobile computing device is in a sleep or inactive mode, waking up the mobile computing device or transitioning it to an active mode and (ii) initiating a special annotating mode of the mobile computing device during which the document cannot be modified.

12. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the coordinating of the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device is performed after receiving the request and in response to detecting a trigger condition relating to the particular user.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of (i) a scheduled display time relating to the particular user and (ii) a geo-location of the mobile computing device being proximate to a geo-location relating to the particular user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors of a computing system cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

detecting that (i) a computing device and a mobile computing device are at least one of (a) both registered to a particular user and (b) both logged into a same account associated with the particular user and (ii) a document is currently being edited by the computing device;

in response to the detecting and without additional input via the computing device and the mobile computing device, coordinating the display of the display of an option comprising least one of (i) an additional menu element in an existing menu at the computing device and (ii) an additional icon in an existing toolbar at the computing device, wherein at least one of (a) the existing menu did not include the additional menu element prior to the detecting and (b) the existing toolbar did not include the additional icon prior to the detecting; and

receiving, from the computing device, a request issued by the computing device upon selection of the option;

in response to receiving the request, coordinating the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device;

receiving an annotated rendering of the document, the annotated rendering including handwritten annotations made to the rendering of the document via a touch display of the mobile computing device; and

storing the annotated rendering of the document at a memory of the computing system.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the annotated rendering of the document includes one or more layers including the handwritten annotations and overlaying the rendering of the document, and wherein the one or more layers are separated based on at least one of (i) an annotation mode utilized to provide the handwritten annotations via the touch display of the mobile computing device and (ii) a time at which the handwritten annotations were made.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, to a paper printer, the annotated rendering of the document, wherein receipt of the annotated rendering of the document causes the paper printer to print the annotated rendering of the document.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein coordinating the display of the document at the mobile computing device includes (i) when the mobile computing device is in a sleep or inactive mode, waking up the mobile computing device or transitioning it to an active mode and (ii) initiating a special annotating mode of the mobile computing device during which the document cannot be modified.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the coordinating of the display of the rendering of the document at the mobile computing device is performed after receiving the request and in response to detecting a trigger condition relating to the particular user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the trigger condition comprises at least one of (i) a scheduled display time relating to the particular user and (ii) a geo-location of the mobile computing device being proximate to a geo-location relating to the particular user.