System and method for cooperative sharing of resources of an environment
a technology of cooperative sharing and environment, applied in the field of systems, can solve the problems of difficult or even impossible control and verification, difficulty in establishing a layout that the multiple users are comfortable working with, and the inability to work with multiple users
Inactive Publication Date: 2014-09-18
TILLMAN CHAD DUSTIN
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- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
The patent describes a computer program that creates a user interface for a computing device that allows users to display and interact with resources on the screen. The program includes a desktop that represents the available resources, with a viewport for users to add and interact with resources. The interface also allows users to select a resource and have it brought to the forefront of the interface for easier use. Overall, the invention creates a more efficient and user-friendly interaction for users and resources.
Problems solved by technology
Desktop sharing systems do not support multiple parties operating together so that the different parties having access to a shared desktop would be able to bring their own windows to the shared desktop.
These problems with desktop sharing systems disable multiple user cases where a user, who is currently not sharing his own desktop, would need to share one of his windows to the other parties e.g. because it contains valuable information to the other parties or where the parties would need to be able to collaborate or cooperate using a number of windows or applications.
In some desktop sharing systems it is also difficult or even not possible to control and verify which windows on the desktop a guest user is allowed to see.
This can be a problem in situations where a user would like to allow or enable a guest user, for example a technical support person, to see some but not all of the windows that are open and / or to verify which windows the guest user will be able to see.
However, in a workspace with a limited size it is difficult to establish a layout that the multiple users are comfortable working with, which can depend upon, for example visibility, accessibility and relative positioning of the resources on the desktop such that the positioning supports workflow.
For instance, in the aforementioned desktop sharing systems, it can also be difficult to maintain a layout where resources such as windows do not overlap, or establish layouts with spatially stable relationships between them.
While increasing the size or display resolution of the physical display, or adding multiple monitors, may aim to address this problem, larger or additional monitors are generally not able to compensate for the increasing number of (active) resources, on the desktop.
If more windows are continually opened, the amount of open windows will eventually crowd the available display space.
As a result, these systems typically allow users to work with only one window at a time, since allowing users to work with more than one window would cause space contention when two or more users try to use different windows that overlap on the desktop.
This means that when two or more users are working on different resources on the shared desktop, it may not be possible or practical for every user to position the resource they are working on in the center region of the screen.
In a multiple user environment, different users may be working on a shared set of resources, but they may not have a sense of a shared context of work or cooperation with other team members, which can make the coordination of activities difficult.
However, these systems suffer from the problem that because different devices are frequently used in different working contexts (e.g. work or home) where different windows will also frequently be used, the stacking order of windows will frequently change whenever the user switches between different devices.
This will, generally make transitioning between working contexts more difficult as the user will have to re-establish the working context whenever they switch between devices and working contexts.
Thus, when a window is activated, also referred to as an active window, the layout or order of the other windows on the display relative to the active window, can change, potentially reducing visibility of window regions that were previously visible.
Similarly, in desktop sharing systems, the creation of new windows can obstruct another user's view to other windows that they were working on as the new windows that have been created appear on top of other windows.
This can be problematic in a multi-user context where minimizing a window may have adverse effect on other users who may want to continue working with the window.
One of the limitations of such systems is that the participating users will generally have their own, individual copies of the resources being worked on.
This is inconvenient for the sender, who might first have to make some resource (e.g. a snippet of programming code) available online and then separately post the URL to that resource to others in the chat room, and after which may not be able to effectively monitor who actually looks at the resource. this can also be inconvenient for the respondents who have to download or open the document to see what the sender wants them to see.
However, this requires explicit action on part of the user and it may not be possible to monitor interest in an activity on a resource, e.g. visits or the amount of time spent on the resource by users, actively as the resource is accessed or acted upon.
For instance, it may be difficult for a FACEBOOK™ user to see what shared resources their friends, currently also logged in to FACEBOOK, are viewing or acting upon.
Method used
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[0044]Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a system 100 incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments is illustrated. The aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to a multi-user computing environment, where there is a cooperative or collaborative sharing of resources, files and information between and among multiple users. Users are provided with one or more viewports through which they can observe resources in a desktop environment, zoom into and out from specific resources, as well as interact with those resources.
[0045]The term “resource” as is used herein, generally refers to any object or item, groups of objects or items, or any combination thereof, which can be placed and arranged on or in a desktop environment. Examples of “resources” can include, but are not limited to, application windows, or any visual output or indication of an application that provides the user with some type of user interface (which may or may not be interactive) to that or a...
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A computer program product for providing a graphical user interface for displaying of and enabling cooperative use of resources on a display of a computing device includes computer readable code means, the computer readable code means when executed by a processor device, being configured to provide an environment, the environment being configured to represent the resources on the display of the computing device, provide a first viewport to at least a portion of the environment on the display of the computing device, enable a resource to be added to the environment and be viewed within the first viewport and enable the resource to be acted upon within the first viewport.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a U.S. continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 842,627, filed Mar. 15, 2013, which patent application is incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to systems that enable sharing of information between users of computing devices, and in particular to cooperative sharing of resources in a desktop environment, including applications, windows, files and information, among different users.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Desktop sharing systems do not support multiple parties operating together so that the different parties having access to a shared desktop would be able to bring their own windows to the shared desktop. Also, windows appearing on top of other windows on the shared desktop will disable different parties from working with different windows at the...
Claims
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Login to View More IPC IPC(8): G06F3/0481
CPCG06F3/0481G06F3/1454G06F9/452G06F3/0482G06F3/04842
InventorLAUKKANEN, JOONANUMMENMAA, TIMO EEMELIWALMINK, WOUTERRULKENS, ALEXANDERSAVILAMPI, ERKKI ANTERO
OwnerTILLMAN CHAD DUSTIN