IP Library Granted Patent US 9,135,599
Granted Patent B2
US 9,135,599 · App. 12/487,620 · Granted Sep 15, 2015

Smart notebook

Inventors: William J. Westerinen (Issaquah, WA); J. Edward Allard (Seattle, WA); Julio Estrada (Medina, WA); Michael Alan Dougherty (Issaquah, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06Q10/10G06F3/04815G06F3/04847
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,135,599
App. No.
12/487,620
Granted
Sep 15, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are disclosed herein for allowing sharing of notes and ideas between electronic devices. The presence of a number of electronic devices is determined. A determination is made that the electronic devices are to be part of a shared workspace. A shared workspace is generated for the electronic devices. The shared workspace is displayed on a display screen of at least one of the electronic devices. The shared workspace that is displayed may be based on the capabilities of the electronic device. The shared workspace that is displayed may reflect the location of the electronic devices.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display; and

a computer readable storage media device coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage media device having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to:

determine that a plurality of electronic devices that include the apparatus are to be part of a shared workspace that allows the electronic devices to share objects with each other, the apparatus uses short range wireless communications to locate the other electronic devices which are in close physical proximity to the apparatus;

access a physical location of each of the plurality of electronic devices;

receive a first object to be shared in the shared workspace by a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

receive a second object to be shared in the shared workspace by a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

generate a representation of the shared workspace based on capabilities of the apparatus and the physical locations of the plurality of electronic devices relative to the physical location of the apparatus, the generating a representation of the shared workspace including determining to include less than all of the plurality of electronic devices in the representation based on the capabilities of the apparatus, the included electronic devices are a first set of electronic devices;

present the representation of the shared workspace on the display, including displaying the first object but not the second object;

receive a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a physical location of an electronic device in the shared workspace that is not in the first set of electronic devices;

determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan, a second set of the plurality of electronic devices that is different from the first set is included in the new representation; and

present the new representation of the shared workspace on the display in response to the request to pan, including displaying the second object but not the first object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to receive a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a different physical location and to determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan include instructions which when executed on the processor cause the processor to:

receive a request to pan to the right at time when the first object being shared by the first electronic device is being presented on the display of the apparatus;

determine that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device from the perspective of the apparatus; and

determine that the second set includes the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device.

3. A method comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, that a plurality of electronic devices that include the apparatus are to be part of a shared workspace that allows the electronic devices to share objects with each other, wherein the apparatus uses short range wireless communications to locate the other electronic devices which are in close physical proximity to the apparatus;

accessing, by the apparatus, a physical location of each of the plurality of electronic devices;

receiving a first object to be shared in the shared workspace by a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

receiving a second object to be shared in the shared workspace by a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices;

generating a representation of the shared workspace based on capabilities of the apparatus and the physical locations of the plurality of electronic devices relative to the physical location of the apparatus, the generating a representation of the shared workspace including determining to include less than all of the plurality of electronic devices in the representation based on the capabilities of the apparatus, the included electronic devices are a first set of electronic devices;

presenting the representation of the shared workspace on a display of the apparatus, including displaying the first object but not the second object;

receiving a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a physical location of an electronic device in the shared workspace that is not in the first set of electronic devices;

determining a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan, a second set of the plurality of electronic devices that is different from the first set is included in the new representation; and

presenting the new representation of the shared workspace on the display in response to the request to pan, including displaying the second object but not the first object.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the receiving a request to pan the representation of the shared workspace to a different physical location and to determine a new representation of the shared workspace based on the physical locations the plurality of electronic devices that satisfies the request to pan includes:

receiving a request to pan to the right at time when the first object being shared by the first electronic device is being presented on the display of the apparatus;

determining that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device from the perspective of the apparatus; and

determining that the second set includes the second electronic device responsive to the determination that the second electronic device is to the right of the first electronic device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034564/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2009
From: WESTERINEN, WILLIAM J.; ALLARD, J. EDWARD; ESTRADA, JULIO; DOUGHERTY, MICHAEL ALAN
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022850/0939 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100325559A1 · Dec 23, 2010