Dynamic Content Relocation on Interactive Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

In presentations using electronic whiteboards or interactive surfaces, the presenter often obstructs the view of the content being added, impairing attendees' attention and comprehension, as existing solutions do not effectively address the issue of maintaining an unobstructed view for the audience.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that automatically or manually relocates content on the surface to an unobstructed area, using sensors and cameras to detect obstructions and adapt the content's location in real-time, allowing it to 'float' to a position that provides an unobstructed view for attendees.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the presenter writes or presents content on the surface, then the content is added to the surface, but the presenter obstructs the attendees' view of the content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent addition speedVSAvoidview obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The content location on the surface is made dynamic rather than static. The system continuously monitors presenter position and automatically relocates content to unobstructed areas, allowing the content position to adapt in real-time to the presenter's movements and maintain visibility for attendees

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses sensors (cameras, depth sensors) to detect the presenter's position and the current visibility status of content, then uses this feedback information to automatically relocate content to optimal positions that maintain unobstructed views for the audience while preserving the presenter's ability to interact with the content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the content is relocated to an unobstructed location, then the attendees' view is improved, but the presenter may lose control or context of the content being added

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveview obstructionVSAvoidpresenter control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automatic content relocation without requiring manual intervention from the presenter. The presenter simply continues writing or adding content naturally, and the system autonomously manages content positioning based on detected obstructions, freeing the presenter from manual relocation tasks while maintaining content visibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides continuous feedback to the presenter about content location and visibility status, allowing the presenter to maintain awareness and control of the presentation flow while the system handles the complex task of dynamic content repositioning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple surfaces are used to present content, then the content visibility is improved through redundancy, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveview obstructionVSAvoidsurface system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The content relocation system is designed to work across multiple different surface types (electronic whiteboards, interactive displays, projection surfaces) using a unified approach. The same sensor-based detection and automatic relocation logic applies to any surface in the system, allowing multi-surface deployments without proportionally increasing system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3017350B1Manipulation of content on a surface
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3017350B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3017350B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3017350B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Various embodiments enable expeditious manipulation of content on a surface so as to make the content quickly visually available to one or more attendees or participants. In at least some embodiments, content can be automatically manipulated to automatically present the content in a surface location that provides an unobstructed view of the content. Alternately or additionally, content can be manually selected to become "floating" in a manner which moves the content to a surface location that provides an unobstructed view of the content.