U.S. patent application number 16/509446 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-31 for method for recording stroke data made on a touch sensitive interactive device.
The applicant listed for this patent is QuirkLogic, Inc.. Invention is credited to Alfonso Fabian de la Fuente, Michael Howatt Mabey, Nashirali Samanani.
Application Number | 20190332762 16/509446 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67700483 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-31 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190332762 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mabey; Michael Howatt ; et
al. |
October 31, 2019 |
METHOD FOR RECORDING STROKE DATA MADE ON A TOUCH SENSITIVE
INTERACTIVE DEVICE
Abstract
A system and method for storing data input on an interactive
device directly to a removable media device. The method includes
detecting connection of a removable media device by an interactive
device, authenticating the removable media device using an
identification device operatively connected to the removable media
device, upon authentication of the removable media device and when
a session exists on the interactive device, determining whether a
user of the removable media device is a same user of the session,
when the user of the removable media device is the same user of the
session, automatically copying stroke data on the interactive
device to the removable media device, and upon authentication of
the removable media device and when a session does not exist on the
interactive device, creating a new session associated with the user
of the removable media device, and performing an insertion default
action.
Inventors: |
Mabey; Michael Howatt;
(Calgary, CA) ; de la Fuente; Alfonso Fabian;
(Victoria, CA) ; Samanani; Nashirali; (Calgary,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QuirkLogic, Inc. |
Calgary |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
67700483 |
Appl. No.: |
16/509446 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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15388758 |
Dec 22, 2016 |
10395025 |
|
|
16509446 |
|
|
|
|
62275108 |
Jan 5, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 21/44 20130101;
G06F 21/31 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/44 20060101
G06F021/44 |
Claims
1-28. (canceled)
29. A method for storing data, comprising: detecting connection of
a removable media device by an interactive device; authenticating
the removable media device using an identification device
operatively connected to the removable media device; upon
authentication of the removable media device and when a session
exists on the interactive device, determining whether a user of the
removable media device is a same user of the session; when the user
of the removable media device is the same user of the session:
performing a default insertion action; upon authentication of the
removable media device and when a session does not exist on the
interactive device: creating a new session associated with the user
of the removable media device; and performing the default insertion
action.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the default insertion action
comprises one selected from the group consisting of: rebuilding a
previous display state from the removable media device, accessing a
file on the removable media device, storing stroke data in
persistent storage in a location that is external to the removable
media device, and automatically copying stroke data on the
interactive device to the removable media device.
31. The method of claim 29, further comprising: pre-configuring the
removable media device by: connecting the removable media device to
a device configured to execute a configuration process on the
removable media device; obtaining a serial number of the
identification device, wherein the identification device is
operatively connected to the removable media device; and creating
and storing an identification file on the removable media device,
wherein the identification file comprises: a reference pointer to
metadata stored on the removable media device, wherein the metadata
is associated with stroke data; user login credentials of the user
of the removable media device; the default insertion action and a
default removal action of the removable media device; and an
identification device ID, wherein the identification device ID is
at least partially based on the serial number of the identification
device.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein authenticating the removable
media device comprises: obtaining the serial number of the
identification device; and detecting a match between the
identification device ID in the identification file and a value at
least partially based on the serial number of the identification
device.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein performing the default
insertion action comprises: determining whether the identification
file includes the reference pointer to metadata comprising a last
display state of an interactive display stored on the removable
media device, wherein the reference pointer is created and stored
in the identification file during a previous session of the
removable media device; and displaying content corresponding to the
last display state on the interactive display.
34. The method of claim 29, further comprising: detecting
disconnection of the removable media device; and erasing, in
response to the disconnection, stroke data stored in a volatile
memory of the interactive device.
35. The method of claim 34, further comprising: removing content on
an interactive display.
36. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising
instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method
comprising: detecting connection of a removable media device by an
interactive device; authenticating the removable media device using
an identification device operatively connected to the removable
media device; upon authentication of the removable media device and
when a session exists on the interactive device, determining
whether a user of the removable media device is a same user of the
session; when the user of the removable media device is the same
user of the session: performing a default insertion action; upon
authentication of the removable media device and when a session
does not exist on the interactive device: creating a new session
associated with the user of the removable media device; and
performing the default insertion action.
37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36,
wherein the default insertion action comprises one selected from
the group consisting of: rebuilding a previous display state from
the removable media device, accessing a file on the removable media
device, storing stroke data in persistent storage in a location
that is external to the removable media device, and automatically
copying stroke data on the interactive device to the removable
media device.
38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36,
wherein the instructions further comprise: pre-configuring the
removable media device by: connecting the removable media device to
a device configured to execute a configuration process on the
removable media device; obtaining a serial number of the
identification device, wherein the identification device is
operatively connected to the removable media device; and creating
and storing an identification file on the removable media device,
wherein the identification file comprises: a reference pointer to
metadata stored on the removable media device, wherein the metadata
is associated with stroke data; user login credentials of the user
of the removable media device; the default insertion action and a
default removal action of the removable media device; and an
identification device ID, wherein the identification device ID is
at least partially based on the serial number of the identification
device.
39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38,
wherein authenticating the removable media device comprises:
obtaining the serial number of the identification device; and
detecting a match between the identification device ID in the
identification file and a value at least partially based on the
serial number of the identification device.
40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 38,
wherein performing the default insertion action comprises:
determining whether the identification file includes the reference
pointer to metadata comprising a last display state of an
interactive display stored on the removable media device, wherein
the reference pointer is created and stored in the identification
file during a previous session of the removable media device; and
displaying content corresponding to the last display state on the
interactive display.
41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36,
wherein the instructions further comprise: detecting disconnection
of the removable media device; and erasing, in response to the
disconnection, stroke data stored in a volatile memory of the
interactive device.
42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 41,
wherein the instructions further comprise: removing content on an
interactive display.
43. A system for storing data, the system comprising: an
interactive display, configured to: detect connection of a
removable media device by an interactive device; authenticate the
removable media device using an identification device operatively
connected to the removable media device; upon authentication of the
removable media device and when a session exists on the interactive
device, determine whether a user of the removable media device is a
same user of the session; when the user of the removable media
device is the same user of the session: performing a default
insertion action; upon authentication of the removable media device
and when a session does not exist on the interactive device: create
a new session associated with the user of the removable media
device; and perform the default insertion action.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein the default insertion action
comprises one selected from the group consisting of: rebuilding a
previous display state from the removable media device, accessing a
file on the removable media device, storing stroke data in
persistent storage in a location that is external to the removable
media device, and automatically copying stroke data on the
interactive device to the removable media device.
45. The system of claim 43, wherein the interactive display is
further configured to: pre-configure the removable media device by:
connect the removable media device to a device configured to
execute a configuration process on the removable media device;
obtain a serial number of the identification device, wherein the
identification device is operatively connected to the removable
media device; and create and storing an identification file on the
removable media device, wherein the identification file comprises:
a reference pointer to metadata stored on the removable media
device, wherein the metadata is associated with stroke data; user
login credentials of the user of the removable media device; the
default insertion action and a default removal action of the
removable media device; and an identification device ID, wherein
the identification device ID is at least partially based on the
serial number of the identification device.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein authenticating the removable
media device comprises: obtaining the serial number of the
identification device; and detecting a match between the
identification device ID in the identification file and a value at
least partially based on the serial number of the identification
device.
47. The system of claim 45, wherein performing the default
insertion action comprises: determining whether the identification
file includes the reference pointer to metadata comprising a last
display state of the interactive display stored on the removable
media device, wherein the reference pointer is created and stored
in the identification file during a previous session of the
removable media device; and displaying content corresponding to the
last display state on the interactive display.
48. The system of claim 43, wherein the interactive display is
further configured to: detect disconnection of the removable media
device; erase, in response to the disconnection, stroke data stored
in a volatile memory of the interactive device; and remove content
on the interactive display.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/275,108,
filed on Jan. 5, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Flipcharts have not changed significantly over 100 years.
And to this day it is very common for any meeting room to have some
form of a flipchart for writing notes or sharing ideas. Use of the
flipchart has been augmented by blackboards and/or whiteboards for
presenting information. These tools continue to thrive in the
office environment despite the introduction of digital projectors,
interactive displays, laptops, and mobile phone technology.
Whiteboards and flipcharts are advantageous because they are
transparent to users, they are easy to set up and use, and have no
technological barriers. Although technology has now advanced in the
office environment, whiteboards and flipcharts are fundamentally
unchanged.
SUMMARY
[0003] In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system
for storing data. The system comprises: an interactive device
comprising an interactive display and a removable media port
configured to receive a removable media device, wherein the
interactive device is configured to receive, via the interactive
display, stroke input, and automatically store the stroke input
onto the removable media device as stroke data when the removable
media device is connected to the removable media port; the
removable media device comprising a data repository configured to
store the stroke data, and metadata associated with the stroke
data; and an identification device, wherein the identification
device is used by the interactive device to authenticate the
removable media device.
[0004] In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method
for storing data. The method includes: detecting connection of a
removable media device by an interactive device; authenticating the
removable media device using an identification device operatively
connected to the removable media device; upon authentication of the
removable media device and when a session exists on the interactive
device, determining whether a user of the removable media device is
a same user of the session; when the user of the removable media
device is the same user of the session: automatically copying
stroke data on the interactive device to the removable media
device; and upon authentication of the removable media device and
when a session does not exist on the interactive device, creating a
new session associated with the user of the removable media device
and performing an insertion default action.
[0005] In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system
for storing data. The system comprises: an interactive device
comprising an interactive display and a removable media port
configured to receive a removable media device, wherein the
interactive device is configured to receive, via the interactive
display, stroke input, and automatically store the stroke input
onto the removable media device as stroke data when the removable
media device is connected to the removable media port; the
removable media device comprising a data repository configured to
store the stroke data, and metadata associated with the stroke
data; and an identification data, wherein the identification data
is used by the interactive device to authenticate the removable
media device.
[0006] In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method
for storing data. The method includes: detecting connection of a
removable media device by an interactive device; authenticating the
removable media device using an identification data contained
within the removable media device; upon authentication of the
removable media device and when a session (i.e. a user is already
logged in) exists on the interactive device, determining whether a
user of the removable media device is a same user of the session;
when the user of the removable media device is the same user of the
session: automatically copying stroke data on the interactive
device to the removable media device; and upon authentication of
the removable media device and when a session does not exist on the
interactive device, creating a new session associated with the user
of the removable media device and performing an insertion default
action.
[0007] Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the
following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1A shows a system in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention.
[0009] FIG. 1B shows an apparatus in accordance with one or more
embodiments.
[0010] FIGS. 2A-2C show hardware for operating an electronic
flipchart in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0011] FIGS. 3A-3C show hardware for operating an electronic
flipchart in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 4 shows a data structure for an electronic flipchart in
accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 5 shows data relationships for an electronic flipchart
in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart in accordance with one or more
embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 7A-7F show examples of an electronic flipchart in
accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart in accordance with one or more
embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 9A-9C show examples of storing data for an electronic
flipchart in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 10 shows a system for collaboration using an electronic
flipchart in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 11 shows a flowchart for initializing a removable media
device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention.
[0020] FIG. 12 shows a flowchart for authenticating and creating a
session in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention.
[0021] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart for storing stroke data in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 14 shows a flowchart for erasing stroke data in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described
in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements
in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for
consistency. In the following detailed description of embodiments
of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order
to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However,
it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the
invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to
avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.
[0024] In the following description of FIGS. 1A-14, any components
described with regard to a figure, in various embodiments of the
invention, may be equivalent to one or more like-named components
described with regard to any other figure. For brevity,
descriptions of these components will not be repeated with regard
to each figure. Thus, each and every embodiment of the components
of each figure is incorporated by reference and assumed to be
optionally present within every other figure having one or more
like-named components. Additionally, in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention, any description of the components of
a figure is to be interpreted as an optional embodiment which may
be implemented in addition to, in conjunction with, or in place of
the embodiments described with regard to a corresponding like-named
component in any other figure.
[0025] In general, embodiments of the invention relate to a method
and system for storing data input on an interactive device directly
to a removable media device. More specifically, embodiments of the
invention are directed to the seamless storage, in real-time (or
near real-time), of stroke data input on a touch-sensitive
interactive device to a pre-configured removable media device.
[0026] FIG. 1A shows a system in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention. The system includes an interactive
device (103) and a removable media device (105). Each of the
aforementioned components is described below.
[0027] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the interactive
device (103) is any physical system with an interactive display
(107), a processor (109), a volatile memory (113), a removable
media port (115), and a wireless communication interface (117). The
interactive device (103) may optionally include local persistent
storage (111). Further, the interactive device (103) may be
operatively connected to cloud (or remote) storage (119) in a cloud
computing environment. In one or more embodiments of the invention,
the interactive device (103) may be any interactive device capable
of receiving input, such as a reflective display device, an
interactive whiteboard, an electronic tablet, or any other suitable
device. For example, the interactive device (103) may be an
e-flipchart apparatus as described in FIGS. 1B-10.
[0028] The interactive device (103) includes functionality to
receive at least one stroke input (not shown) on the interactive
display (107). Additionally, the interactive device (103) includes
functionality to process, using the processor (109), and store, the
stroke input (described below) as stroke data (described below).
The stroke data may be initially stored in the volatile memory
(113), in accordance with the embodiments shown in FIG. 13.
Volatile memory (113) may be any volatile memory including, but not
limited to, Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM,
SDR SDRAM, and DDR SDRAM. Furthermore, the interactive device (103)
is configured to copy the stroke data from the volatile memory
(113) and automatically store the stroke data onto the removable
media device (105), when the interactive device (103) is connected
to the removable media device (105) via the removable media port
(115), in accordance with the embodiments shown in FIG. 13.
Alternatively, or in addition to storing the stroke data in the
removable media device (105), the interactive device may store the
stroke data in the local persistent storage (111) of the
interactive device (103). Local persistent storage (111) may be,
for example, solid state memory, optical storage, magnetic storage,
or any other medium capable of persistently storing data. Further,
stroke data may optionally be stored on remote persistent storage
or in a cloud computing environment having cloud storage (119),
such as a web-based storage environment.
[0029] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 1A, the wireless
communication interface (117) of the interactive device (103) is
any physical device with a wireless network interface card or
similar wireless network component. For example, the wireless
communication interface (117) may be a wireless network interface
card that is integrated within the interactive device (103) or a
removable wireless network Universal Serial Bus (USB) device.
Additionally, the wireless communication interface (117) includes
functionality to receive a serial number (not shown) of an
identification device (123), or an ID file (125) of the removable
media device (105), and use the serial number to authenticate the
removable media device (105). For example, the wireless
communication interface (117) may be an NFC reader (or any other
suitable interface) or a Bluetooth connection (which may be any
implementation of Bluetooth) that facilitates the transfer of the
serial number of the identification device (123) from the removable
media device (105) to the interactive device (103), for
authentication of the removable media device (105) by the
interactive device (103).
[0030] In one embodiment of the invention, the interactive display
(107) is a user interface with a display screen. The display screen
may be a reflective Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a bi-stable or
electrophoretic display (e.g., electronic paper and/or electronic
ink displays), an electrochromic display, an electro-wetting or
electro-fluidic display, an interferometric modulated display
(e.g., a technology that creates color via the interference of
reflected light), and an electromechanical modulated display (e.g.,
a video projector, a flap display, a flip disk display, a digital
micro-mirror device (DMD), an interferometric modulator display
(IMOD), an uni-pixel display (FTIR), and a telescopic pixel
display) In one or more embodiments, the interactive display (107)
includes at least a touch-sensitive portion that is capable of
receiving and display stroke input.
[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, the stroke input,
displayed by the interactive display (107) and subsequently
received and processed by the interactive device (103) as discussed
above, may be any digital pixel or marking made by touch input on
the touch-sensitive portion of the interactive display (107), or by
input on the interactive display (107) via a digital marker,
digital keyboard, or other input device or program that may be
physically or operatively connected to the interactive display
(107). For example, the stroke input may be a dot, a line, a
letter, a drawing, a word, or a series of words made on the
interactive display (107) using a digital marker, stylus pen, or
user touch input.
[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the stroke data may
include, but is not limited to, location data for the stroke (e.g.,
the x, y, coordinates of the detected locations of the stroke
input), optional stroke pressure data for the stroke (e.g. the
amount of pressure that was detected at each location point),
stroke characteristics that can be used to render the stroke from
the location data and optional pressure data (e.g. stroke line
width, stroke type (e.g. pen, pencil, marker), stroke color), a
timestamp associated with the stroke input, a user that produced
the stroke (e.g., the user that used a stylus to draw a line on the
interactive device), the type of input that was used to generate
the stroke input (e.g., stylus, finger(s), etc.), information about
the stylus (if a stylus was used) (e.g., the width of the tip of
the stylus, etc.). In one or more embodiments of the invention, the
stroke data may include the location of the pixels that are changed
as a result of the stroke (e.g., the pixels that make up the
line(s) and/or curve(s) that were created as a result of the stroke
input),
[0033] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the removable
media device (105) includes a data repository (121), an
identification device (123), and an ID file (125). For example, the
removable device (105) may be a USB flash drive, a memory card, or
any other suitable portable storage device.
[0034] The data repository (121) is any location (or set of
locations) on the storage medium within the removable media device
(105) that includes the functionality to store the stroke data and
metadata associated with the stroke data. In one embodiment of the
invention, the stroke data is defined as the stroke input from the
interactive display (107) that has been processed and converted by
the processor (109) to stroke data.
[0035] The stroke data may be stored onto the removable media
device (105), the local persistent storage (111), and/or cloud
storage (119) connected to the interactive device (103). Further,
in one or more embodiments of the invention, the data repository
(121) is configured to store stroke data in a database format. For
example, the stroke data may be stored as a plain text flat file,
readable by software on the interactive device that is capable of
reconstructing the stroke data to its original state.
[0036] In one or more embodiments of the invention, metadata
associated with the stroke data that may be stored in the data
repository (121) may be a last display state of the interactive
display (107). The last display state is a recordation of the final
state of the stroke data by the data repository (121), as displayed
immediately before the removable media device is operatively
removed from the interactive device (103). Additionally, metadata
may also include timestamps to indicate creation or modification
dates, file size indicators, and other indicators that may be used
by the interactive device to locate and retrieve a specific
subsection of data stored in the data repository.
[0037] The identification device (123) is any physical device or
digital implementation that has an identifier, such as a serial
number, that is operatively connected to the removable media device
(105) in a manner that associates the identification device (123)
with the removable media device (105), to facilitate the
authentication of the removable media device. For example, the
identification device (123) may be a Near Field Communications
(NFC) chip or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, which may be
electrically wired within, physically affixed upon, or physically
or wirelessly connected to, the removable media device. Further,
the identification device (123) is utilized by the interactive
device (103) to authenticate the removable media device (105),
using the serial number of the identification device (123).
[0038] The ID file (125) is any electronic file, located within the
removable media device (105), that includes an identification
device ID (127). In one embodiment of the invention, the
identification device ID identifies the identification device
and/or the removable media device. The identification device ID may
be: (i) a serial number of the identification device or the
removable media device, (ii) a device ID (other than a serial
number) associated with the identification device or the removable
media device, and/or (iii) a value based on and/or derived from at
least a portion of (i) and/or (ii). In one embodiment of the
invention, the value in embodiment (iii) may be generated using,
for example, a hash function, an encryption function, etc. Other
functions (or combinations of functions maybe used without
departing from the invention). The identification device ID may
include numbers, letters, and/or symbols.
[0039] The ID file (125) may also include user login credentials
(not shown), a reference pointer to the metadata (not shown), a
default insertion action (not shown), and an at least one default
removal action (not shown). Each of these components is described
below.
[0040] In one embodiment of the invention, the ID file (125) is
pre-configured, during the initialization of the removable media
device (105), in order to authenticate the removable media device
(105) to the interactive device (103), as shown in FIG. 11.
[0041] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention,
authenticating the removable media device includes obtaining an
identification device ID (described above) from the identification
device (123) and comparing the obtained identification device ID to
the identification device ID (127) of the ID file, upon connecting
the removable media device (105) to the interactive device (103).
Further, authentication of the removable device (105) may be
performed using a separate channel and/or process than the one used
to connect the removable media device (105) to the interactive
device (103). For example, in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention, the removable media device (105) may
be authenticated by the interactive device (103) through the
wireless communication interface (117) configured to receive the
serial number from the identification device (123), as described
above. At the same time, the removable media device (105) may be
operatively connected to the interactive device (103) through a
removable media port (115), to facilitate the storage of data using
the data repository (120) and the authentication of a user of the
removable media device (105) using the user login credentials, as
well as to facilitate the retrieval of data using the reference
pointer to the metadata, and the management of data using the
default insertion and default removal actions.
[0042] In another example, the removable media device may be
authenticated as follows: (i) obtaining a value (e.g., a serial
number, a device ID) from an identification device (described
above); (ii) applying a function (e.g., a hash function or an
encryption function) to at least a portion of the value obtained in
(i) to generate an identification device ID; (iii) obtaining an
identification device ID from the ID file; and (iv) comparing the
identification device ID generated in (ii) to the identification
device ID obtained in (iii) to determine whether they match. If
there is a match, then the removable media device is
authenticated.
[0043] In another example, the removable media device may be
authenticated as follows: (i) obtaining an identification device ID
from an identification device (described above); (ii) obtaining an
identification device ID from the ID file; and (iii) comparing the
identification device ID obtained in (i) to the identification
device ID obtained in (ii) to determine whether they match. If
there is a match, then the removable media device is
authenticated.
[0044] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention,
the user login credential includes information, such as a user ID
and a password (or other credentials), to facilitate the
interactive device's (103) authentication of a particular user to
the removable media device (105). Additionally, the interactive
device (103) authenticates the user of the removable media device
(105), using the user login credentials, before the stroke data,
including any stroke data stored in the volatile memory (113) of
the interactive device (103), is automatically stored on the
removable media device (105). The reference pointer to the metadata
includes information such as the location of the last display state
of the interactive display, to be used to facilitate the retrieval
of the stroke data from the removable media device (105), by the
interactive device (103).
[0045] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention,
the default insertion action includes an instruction to be followed
by the interactive device (103), upon detecting the insertion of
and after the authentication of, the removable media device (105).
For example, the default insertion action may include automatic
display of the last state of the stroke using the reference pointer
to the metadata, as previously mentioned above, and/or storage of
stroke data in a location other than the removable media device
(105). The default removal action includes certain default actions
to be taken upon the detection of the removal of the removable
media device (105) by the interactive device (103). For example,
the default removal action may include automatic deletion of all
traces of the stroke data from all components of the interactive
device (103).
[0046] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the default
insertion and the default removal actions may be pre-configured on
the removable media device before it is connected to the
interactive device. By doing so, the user of the removable media
device may not need to provide further instruction on how the
stroke data should be saved, where the stroke data should be saved,
or whether all traces of the stroke data should be removed from the
interactive device upon removal of the removable media device.
[0047] While FIG. 1A shows a configuration of components, system
configurations other than those shown in FIG. 1A may be used
without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,
various components may be combined to create a single component. As
another example, the functionality performed by a single component
may be performed by two or more components.
[0048] The following section describes an e-flipchart apparatus as
described in FIGS. 1B-10.
[0049] Turning to FIG. 1B, FIG. 1B shows a schematic diagram of an
apparatus of an e-flipchart (also referred to as an e-flipchart
apparatus) in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention. While FIG. 1B shows a configuration of components, other
configurations may be used without departing from the scope of the
invention. For example, various components may be combined to
create a single component. As another example, the functionality
performed by a single component may be performed by two or more
components.
[0050] Turning to FIG. 1B, in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention, the apparatus (100) may include one
or more hardware elements, each having specific functionality. The
main structure of the e-flipchart apparatus is formed between a
back panel (120) and a front frame (102). In one or more
embodiments of the invention, the front frame is a clear, opaque,
or translucent material and includes an active area on which
content may be displayed. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the back panel (120) is a rigid mechanical support
structure made of a solid material, for example, plastic or metal.
In between the back panel (120) and the front frame (102) is a
low-power, reflective display (106). In one embodiment of the
invention, the reflective display (106) may be viewed as an output
device that, through reflection, harnesses ambient light in order
to present content. For example, the reflective display (106) may
host slow refresh rates, monochromatic coloring (e.g., black and
white, or gray scale shading), and the presentation of low
contrasting definition. However, on the other hand, the reflective
display (106) may have one or more of the following features: (i)
very low power consumption; (ii) the readability of content
outdoors under sunlight; and (iii) the providing of strain relief
on the eyes of a user. As such, in one embodiment of the invention,
fundamental static digital media, such as monochromatic text and
still images, may be delegated to a reflective display (106) for
presentation. Examples of a reflective display include, but are not
limited to, a reflective Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a bi-stable
or electrophoretic display (e.g., electronic paper and/or
electronic ink displays), an electrochromic display, an
electro-wetting or electro-fluidic display, an interferometric
modulated display (e.g., a technology that creates color via the
interference of reflected light), and an electromechanical
modulated display (e.g., Flap Display, digital micro-mirror
device).
[0051] In one or more embodiments of the invention, at least one
portion of the reflective display (106) of the e-flipchart
apparatus may be bi-stable. In one embodiment of the invention, the
reflective display may correspond to the reflective displayed
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,026. The invention is not limited
to the reflective display described in the above referenced
patent.
[0052] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 1B, in front of the
reflective display (106) is a layer having at least one touch
portion which may be a transparent rigid or semi-rigid board (104),
or a frame that uses edge sensors, such as Infra-red or optical
sensing technology. In another embodiment, the layer having at
least one touch portion (104) may be a capacitive film layer. In
one or more embodiments, the layer having at least one touch
portion (104) may only cover a portion of the reflective display,
with the remaining surface area of the reflective display (106)
being covered by non-touch sensitive material which may or may not
be clear, opaque, translucent, transparent and/or non-transparent.
In the back of the reflective display (106) is an optional
electromagnetic layer, which may be an electromagnetic board (110).
By combining the electromagnetic layer (110) and the layer having
at least one touch portion (104), at least a dual system for touch
input is obtained. In one or more embodiments, touch input may
include a finger(s) and/or a touch by a digital marker or
digitizer.
[0053] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the
electromagnetic layer (110) is configured to generate an
electromagnetic field capable of detecting a digital marker or
digitizer (see e.g., FIGS. 2A-3C) when such a tool is used to
provide an input to the e-flipchart. The electromagnetic layer
(110) includes wires (not shown) that allows the electromagnetic
layer (110) to transmit and detect input signals. In one or more
embodiments of the invention, the electromagnetic board (110) is
configured to determine a position of the touch input (described
above) on the e-flipchart by detecting pressure or changes in the
generated electromagnetic field caused by a designated portion of
the touch input, for example, the tip of a digital marker and/or
pressure applied by one or more fingers.
[0054] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the front frame
(102) includes an active area or region with an active display, and
an active input method that includes at least two input
capabilities: the ability to detect a digital marker or digitizer
and the ability to accept touch input from one or more finger touch
points. Further, the apparatus (100) is configured to respond to
each detected input type (see e.g., FIG. 6). For example, detecting
a digital marker input may result in a line being drawn on the
reflective display, while touching the same area with a finger may
pan or zoom the display area.
[0055] Continuing with FIG. 1B, controller (114) includes hardware
and software/firmware to control the overall operation of the
e-flipchart. More specifically, the controller (114) may include
one or more processors (CPUs), persistent storage, and/or volatile
memory. Persistent storage may include, for example, magnetic
storage, optical storage, solid state storage (e.g., NAND Flash,
NOR Flash, etc.), or any combination thereof. Volatile memory may
include RAM, DRAM, or any combination thereof. In one or more
embodiments of the invention, all or a portion of the persistent
storage and/or volatile memory may be removable. In one or more
embodiments, the persistent storage may include software
instructions for executing operations of the e-flipchart.
Specifically, the persistent storage may be configured to store
software and/or firmware specific to e-flipchart operations. In one
or more embodiments of the invention, the built-in CPU/processors
of the controller (114) may execute an operating system and the
software which implements e-flipchart functionality.
[0056] The controller (including components therein) (114) is
powered by a battery and/or a power supply (112). In one or more
embodiments, controller (114) is configured to detect and process
input signals. For example, when an object touches the layer having
at least one touch portion (104), a signal is sent to the
controller (114) for detection of the input type and processing of
the input. Further, the controller is configured to store e.g., in
persistent storage and/or volatile memory, each stroke (in the form
of touch input or digital marker) after such an action is performed
on the e-flipchart (100) (see e.g., FIG. 6). In other words, the
controller (114) is configured to store each stroke or action as it
is produced in the active area of the front frame (102) of the
e-flipchart apparatus (100). In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the controller (114) includes functionality to implement
the methods shown and described in FIGS. 6-8. Further, while the
controller (114) has been described as a combination of hardware
and software, the controller may be implemented entirely within
hardware without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0057] In one embodiment of the invention, the e-flipchart may
include one or more external communication interfaces (116). The
communication interfaces permit the e-flipchart to interface with
external components. The communication interfaces may implement any
communication protocol, for example, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, USB,
etc. The invention is not limited to the aforementioned
communication protocols.
[0058] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the apparatus
(100) of FIG. 1B is a lower-power reflective device that only draws
power from the battery/power supply (112) when there is a screen
refresh with new information displayed or when a user is drawing or
inputting information in the apparatus. In other words, while the
apparatus (100) is "always on" and in a mode that is ready to
detect an input, the apparatus is in a low power state. When an
input is detected by the apparatus (100) on the active area of the
front frame (102), the e-flipchart apparatus is configured to
change from the low power state to an active state and perform the
methods described in FIGS. 6 and 8.
[0059] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the e-flipchart
apparatus may be deemed to be in an active state when some or all
the components on the e-flipchart apparatus are working accepting
pen, touch, keyboard and LAN input, processing applications and/or
saving data (and/or metadata) to memory. In the active state, the
components of the e-flipchart apparatus are drawing energy from the
controller (114). In contrast, the e-flipchart apparatus may be
deemed to be in a low power state, (or ready-mode) when no pen,
touch, keyboard or LAN inputs are detected (for at least a
pre-determined period of time), but the apparatus still shows the
last content displayed on it (or displays no content). In
ready-mode, CPU processes are minimized, scan rate of finger and
pen inputs are delayed and overall power consumption of the
components in the e-flipchart apparatus are reduced, for example,
by at least 50%. Power consumption may be reduced by a different
amount without departing from the invention. For example, only the
battery and the controller may be drawing power in ready-mode,
reducing the overall power consumption of the e-flipchart apparatus
to 40% relative to the power consumption of the e-flipchart
apparatus when it is in the active mode. The management of the
amount of power that is provided to components of the e-flipchart
apparatus and the frequency of polling for input is performed by
the controller (114). Specifically, the controller (114) may
include an energy management process configured to control the
state of various components of the e-flipchart apparatus based on
whether the e-flipchart apparatus is in ready-mode or in the active
mode.
[0060] To contrast the two states of the e-flipchart apparatus, in
one or more embodiments of the invention, when the reflective
display is in ready-mode, the polling for input occurs at a low
frequency, for example, the apparatus may scan for input 2-10 times
per second. However, once an input is detected by the apparatus,
the apparatus may transition to an active state and increase
polling to a higher frequency, e.g., 60-120 times per second, in
order to capture all the input that may be occurring on the
reflective display. Other polling frequencies may be used in the
active state and/or in the ready-mode without departing from the
invention.
[0061] In one embodiment of the invention, the term "low power
state" is intended to convey that the power consumption of the
e-flipchart apparatus in this state is relatively lower (or less)
than the power consumption of the e-flipchart apparatus in the
active state.
[0062] Though not shown in FIG. 1B, the e-flipchart apparatus may
include a camera for detecting certain types of input, e.g., a
gesture interpretation.
[0063] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the e-flipchart
is configured to enable a user to create, modify, store, and share
an e-presentation. An e-presentation is described below in FIG.
4.
[0064] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the apparatus
(100) of FIG. 1B is approximately 42 inches in diagonal with a 3:4
aspect ratio. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
size of the e-flipchart apparatus is designed to mimic that of a
typical paper flipchart; however, the dimensions and size of the
reflective display apparatus of FIG. 1B may vary without departing
from the scope of the invention. For example, additional dimensions
may include 32'' 4:3 aspect ratio for a personal sized flip chart,
and 55'' or 60'' for larger collaborative surfaces. Even larger
surfaces may vary the aspect ratio to allow for more usable width,
without adding unusable height, such as a 9:16 ratio for an 80''
diagonal size.
[0065] While FIG. 1B describes an e-flipchart with a series of
components organized in particular manner, those skilled in the art
will appreciate that the location of such various components in the
e-flipchart, in particular, the reflective display (106), the layer
having at least one touch portion (104), and the optional
electromagnetic layer (110) may be arranged in different order
without departing from the invention.
[0066] FIGS. 2A-2C shows the hardware for the digital marker or
digitizer that may be used as one type of input capable of being
detected by the e-flipchart apparatus described in FIG. 1B above.
Specifically, FIGS. 2A-2C show a top view of the digital marker in
the form of a cylinder (210). The top of the digital marker has an
electronic eraser (202) and at least one button (206). In one or
more embodiments of the invention, the button (206) is software
programmable and, when pressed or otherwise activated, is
configured to send one or more signals to the e-flipchart. For
example, when the button (206) is pressed or otherwise activated,
the button (206) may send a wireless signal that is detected by the
e-flipchart. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
button (206) may be hidden or built into the electronic eraser
(202). Further, although only one button is shown in FIG. 2A-2C,
the digital marker may include more than one button, where each
button is separately programmable. In one or more embodiments, when
the electronic eraser (202) comes into contact with the
e-flipchart, the e-flipchart is configured to remove or otherwise
clear content from the corresponding locations on the reflective
display. Said another way, the electronic eraser (202) mimics the
operation of a traditional eraser.
[0067] FIG. 2B shows a different orientation (i.e., a side view
with a zero degree rotation of the cylinder) of the digital marker
or digitizer, in which the button (206) is located at the side of
the electronic eraser (202) rather than at the bottom of the
electronic eraser (202). FIG. 2C shows another top view of the
digital marker, in which the cylinder is rotated 90 degrees. In
FIG. 2C, the button (not shown) is hidden from view.
[0068] FIGS. 3A-3C depict side views of the digital marker or
digitizer in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention. In FIGS. 3A-3C, the entire length of the cylinder (210)
form of the digital marker can be seen. In FIG. 3A, on a top end of
the digital marker, the electronic eraser (202) is shown. In
addition, the tip (204) of the digital marker or digitizer is shown
on a bottom end of the cylinder (210). The tip (204) material may
be selected such that the tip (204) slides easily over the writing
surface. Materials for the tip (204) may include, but are not
limited to, high density polyoxyethylene, hard felt, elastomer,
polyoxymethylene, polyacetal, or polyoxyethylene. Other materials
may be used without departing from the invention.
[0069] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the tip (204)
of the digital marker may be used to draw or write directly on the
active area of the front frame (102) of the e-flipchart apparatus.
In FIG. 3B, the button (206) is shown on a side of the cylinder
(210) of the digital marker. In FIG. 3C, the tip (204) of the
digital marker is shown as being thinner and sharper in comparison
with the tip of FIGS. 3A-3B. Those of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that the tip (204) of the digital marker is a
hardware component that may be interchangeable and designed to
mimic a pencil, pen, marker, stylus, or any other suitable writing
tool having varying widths and sharpness. In FIG. 3C, the button is
not shown.
[0070] While FIG. 3A-3C show a cylinder shape for the digital
marker, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the shape of
the digital markers may take other forms without departing from the
scope of the invention.
[0071] As described above, users of the e-flipchart are able to
create, display, store, modify, and share e-presentations. Each
e-presentation includes one or more pages organized in a sequential
manner. The controller includes functionality to store the
information necessary to maintain the e-presentation and allow the
user to interact with the e-presentation as described below. An
exemplary e-presentation is shown in FIG. 4.
[0072] FIG. 4 shows an e-presentation (400) in accordance with one
or more embodiments of the invention. The e-presentation may
include one or more pages (402, 404, 406 408), where each page
represents an electronic page of the e-flipchart. Each page of the
e-presentation (400) corresponds to content that may be displayed
on the e-flipchart apparatus. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the e-presentation (400) shown in FIG. 4 may be stored
in memory or persistent storage associated with the e-flipchart
apparatus or in a cloud computing environment to which the
e-presentation is backed-up, or any combination thereof. For
example, the e-presentation may be stored in persistent storage
locally, and mirrored in the cloud environment.
[0073] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the e-pages
(402, 404, 406, 408) are linked as the e-presentation is populated,
in real-time. The link between the pages is represented by the
bi-directional arrows shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the link
between pages of the e-presentation and the metadata stored to
track the various information associated with the e-presentation is
shown in FIG. 5.
[0074] Specifically, in FIG. 5, each e-presentation (500) may be
associated with an optional owner (502). In one or more embodiments
of the invention, the owner (502) may be the entity or device on
which the e-presentation is initially created. In this case, the
owner (502) may be represented by a device ID which identifies the
device on which the e-presentation is created. For example, when
the e-presentation (500) is created on the e-flipchart apparatus,
the owner (502) field may be populated with the local ID of the
e-flipchart. Alternatively, the owner (502) may be an individual or
group of individuals. In this case, the owner (502) may be
represented by one or more user IDs. In one or more embodiments,
although not shown, an e-presentation may also have permissions
associated with the presentation as a whole, or each page of the
e-presentation. Specifically, permissions to read/view/edit an
e-presentation may be given by the owner (502) of the
e-presentation (500), or by a user of the e-flipchart or other
device that is specified as the owner of the e-presentation.
[0075] In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 above, the e-presentation
(500) may be composed of one or more pages (e.g., Page 1 (504),
Page N (506)). Each page (504, 506) is in turn associated with
content (data) and metadata. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, page
(504) has a page ID (508), a state (510), a display ID (512), and
order information (514). The page ID (508) uniquely identifies that
page in the e-presentation. The page ID (508) may be numerical,
alphabetical, symbolic, or any combination thereof. In one
embodiment of the invention, each page may be associated with a
state (510). In such embodiments, the state (510) of the page (504)
may be, but is not limited to, an active or an inactive state. An
active state indicates that page (504) is currently displayed or
being written to via the e-flipchart or via another device (see
e.g., FIG. 10). An inactive state indicates that page (504) is part
of the e-presentation but is not the page that is currently
displayed (i.e., the page is not shown) or being written to. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that a page may be associated
with other states without departing from the scope of the
invention, such as for example, an edit state in which the page is
being edited offline, or an offline state in which the page is
linked to the e-presentation but is offline or stored in persistent
memory.
[0076] In one embodiment of the invention, each page may be
associated with a display ID (512). In such embodiments, the
display ID (512) associates the page (504) with a display device.
For example, in a scenario in which the page (504) is displayed on
the e-flipchart, the display ID may be the ID of the e-flipchart.
In an alternate embodiment, suppose page (504) is linked to an
e-presentation currently being modified on the e-flipchart, but is
not the active page of the e-presentation. In this case, the page
(504) may be shared with second device over a network, so that the
owner of the second device may edit the page (504) (see e.g., FIGS.
9A-9C, 10). In this scenario, the display ID (512) associated with
the page (504) is the ID of the second device on which the page
(504) is being edited. Accordingly, the display ID (512) of a page
(504) linked to an e-presentation may change at any time. In one or
more embodiments, there may be multiple display IDs (512), each one
corresponding to a device that is currently viewing the page (504).
Further, in one or more embodiments, the display ID may only be
assigned when the state of a page is active. When the state of page
is inactive, the display ID field in the data structure of the
e-presentation may be null.
[0077] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the order
information (514) of a page (504) links the page (504) to other
pages in the e-presentation in a specific order and indicates how
the pages of an e-presentation may be traversed. Specifically, the
e-flipchart apparatus mimics use of a typical paper flipchart
apparatus, in which a new page is obtained by flipping a current
page over the flipchart apparatus. In the typical flipchart
apparatus, the pages are flipped in an order, such that pages
cannot be skipped to obtain a particular page of the
e-presentation. Similarly, with the e-flipchart apparatus, each
page (504) of the e-presentation may be linked to at least one page
prior to the page (504) and at least one page following the page
(504) in the e-presentation. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the order information (514) may include the page IDs of
at least the page prior to the page (504) and the page following
the page (504). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
controller may facilitate skipping to a page out of order without
departing from the scope of the invention.
[0078] In one or more embodiments of the invention, the metadata
associated with an e-presentation, as shown in FIG. 5, may be
populated and stored into a data structure as the e-presentation is
created and modified. The data structure may then be stored locally
in the e-flipchart apparatus persistent storage, or in a cloud
computing environment. A specific example of how the data structure
is populated is described in FIG. 8 below.
[0079] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention. While the various steps in this
flowchart are presented and described sequentially, one of ordinary
skill, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that some
or all of the steps may be executed in different orders, may be
combined or omitted, and some or all of the steps may be executed
in parallel. Furthermore, the steps may be performed actively or
passively. For example, some steps may be performed using polling
or be interrupt driven in accordance with one or more embodiments
of the invention.
[0080] In Step 602, the e-flipchart apparatus is in display
ready-mode. As described above, the e-flipchart apparatus may be
always "on," and therefore, ready for use when a user walks up to
the apparatus or provides another type of input that is detected by
the apparatus (Step 604). Specifically, in the ready-mode (or base
state), the e-flipchart apparatus polls for an input at a low
frequency or input scan rate. In this mode, the display area of the
e-flipchart apparatus may include the image from the last time it
was fully active. When an input is detected, the apparatus changes
state from ready-mode to the active state. For example, in one or
more embodiments of the invention, when input is sensed by the
electromagnetic board, a signal is sent to a controller CPU which
is running the energy management software to "wake up" some or all
the components and put them in "active mode". The same process
occurs when a signal is detected via a GUI, touch input, or in a
"wake up on LAN" input.
[0081] The input detected by the e-flipchart apparatus in Step 604
may be a wireless input provided by the press of a button, such as
a Bluetooth signal, radio frequency signal, or other wireless
network signal, a digital marker input, a touch input, a gesture
input, or any other suitable type of input. Based on the type of
input detected, a specific action may be performed by the
e-flipchart apparatus. Thus, upon detection of an input, a
determination is made as to whether the input is a touch input or a
gesture input (Step 606). If the detected input is a user gesture,
the e-flipchart apparatus may be configured to perform gesture
detection or activate a user interface (UI) component (Step 608).
For all other input types, an appropriate action is performed by
the e-flipchart apparatus (Step 610). For example, when the
detected input is not a touch or gesture input, but rather, is a
wireless signal, for example, a press of the button on the digital
marker, corresponding external events may be activated (Step 610).
For example, in Step 610, when the input is a Bluetooth signal, the
e-flipchart apparatus may be configured to activate a peripheral
device or external Bluetooth receiver. External event inputs may
also be, in one or more embodiments of the invention, proximity
sensors, motion sensors, sound sensors that detect sound above a
particular decibel threshold, etc., for detecting the presence of
one or more people close to or in the vicinity of the e-flipchart
apparatus. For example, proximity sensors may include ultrasonic
sensors or infrared sensors. In yet another embodiment of the
invention, when the detected input is a pen stroke using a digital
marker or digitizer, the e-flipchart apparatus may be configured to
detect the path of the digital marker tip and convert the motion to
a display of simulated ink strokes (Step 612). Accordingly, the
specific action performed by the e-flipchart may vary depending on
the type of input received.
[0082] When the detection input is a gesture or a touch input, the
activated components may display data on the display area, flip a
page, zoom into the content displayed, or perform any other
suitable action in response to the touch/gesture input. In one or
more embodiments of the invention, after performing the action in
response to the detection of an input, the e-flipchart apparatus
returns to the base state of "ready-mode." In one or more
embodiments, in this mode the e-flipchart apparatus to continue to
display an image without any power used by the bi-stable reflective
display component of the apparatus. Examples of the types of
actions that may be performed are described below in FIGS.
7A-7E.
[0083] Specifically, in one or more embodiments of the invention,
FIG. 7A shows an example front frame (102) of an e-flipchart
apparatus. The front frame (102) mimics a screen and has an area
which is capable of accepting at least two type of input: touch and
digital marker. When one of the aforementioned types of input is
detected, for example in the active region or display area of the
layer having at least one touch portion (104), an e-presentation
(700) is created and displayed. Specifically, when a user walks up
to the e-flipchart apparatus in ready-mode and provides an input,
the e-presentation (700) is created. Creation of the e-presentation
may include generating and populating the data and metadata shown
in FIG. 5. In FIG. 7A, the display area is blank. In FIG. 7B, an
example input of writing (702) using a digital marker (210) on the
active area of the e-flipchart apparatus is shown. Specifically, in
FIG. 7B, when the tip of the digital marker or digitizer (210) is
pressed onto the active area of the e-flipchart apparatus, the path
of the digital marker (210) is detected and converted by the
software of the e-flipchart apparatus into simulated ink strokes
(702) which are displayed on a first page of the e-presentation
(700). FIG. 7C shows at least one embodiment in which the displayed
stroke images are maintained on the e-flipchart apparatus without
any power consumption by the reflective display component of the
e-flipchart apparatus. In one or more embodiments of the invention,
the reflective display displays the latest information that
resulted from input to the e-flipchart, and does not change until
new input is received by the controller.
[0084] In FIG. 7D, a touch input (704) is detected by the
e-flipchart apparatus. In the example shown, a user touches the
display screen (706) and, in one or more embodiments, moves his/her
finger in an upward motion (indicated by the arrow pointed upward),
resulting in the current page (708) flipping over to begin a new
page of the e-presentation (700). Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that a page may be flipped using a gesture input as
well, in addition to or instead of a touch display as shown in the
example of FIG. 7D. For example, a visual gesture (e.g., movement
of a hand in a particular path without touching the e-flipchart)
which may be detected by the camera and that is interpreted as a
page flip may result in the software interpreting the flip gesture
as a page flip action. A page flip action results in transitioning
from a current page to another page of the e-presentation. In FIG.
7E, a graphical user interface (GUI) (710) is displayed on the
screen of the e-flipchart apparatus. The GUI (710) may be invoked
by the pressing of a button on the digital marker, by a gesture, or
by any other designated input. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the GUI (710) may be invoked from a menu on a secondary
screen that is, for example, connected to a cloud server by a
bi-directional communication channel. In one or more embodiments,
the GUI (710) may be used to select particular features or perform
selected actions such as, for example, sharing the current page of
an e-presentation, selecting an eraser, changing the font, style,
or color of the displayed line strokes, etc.
[0085] FIG. 7F shows an example of an e-presentation having a
drawing. In one or more embodiments of the invention, as shown in
FIG. 7F, the e-flipchart apparatus may display a pencil skeleton
image (712) to aid a user in creating an e-presentation. The pencil
skeleton may provide a light image so that a user may, at a later
time, trace the light pencil drawing with a marker to draw a
predetermined object. This feature may be used, for example, to
create an illusion that the user is creating artwork on the fly.
Although FIG. 7F shows a pencil skeleton of a flower, those of
ordinary skill would appreciate that the pencil skeleton may depict
any object, or may more generally provide any type of aid for
writing or drawing. For example, the pencil skeleton may be a
combination of light horizontal and vertical lines mimicking graph
paper or notebook paper.
[0086] FIG. 8 shows a flow chart in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows a
flowchart for creating and maintaining an e-presentation in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. While the
various steps in this flowchart are presented and described
sequentially, one of ordinary skill, having benefit of this
disclosure, will appreciate that some or all of the steps may be
executed in different orders, may be combined or omitted, and some
or all of the steps may be executed in parallel. Furthermore, the
steps may be performed actively or passively. For example, some
steps may be performed using polling or be interrupt driven in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention. By way of
an example, determination steps may not require a processor to
process an instruction unless an interrupt is received to signify
that condition exists in accordance with one or more embodiments of
the invention. As another example, determination steps may be
performed by performing a test, such as checking a data value to
test whether the value is consistent with the tested condition in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0087] In step 800, an e-presentation is created and associated
with a presentation ID. In one or more embodiments of the
invention, the presentation ID may be assigned by an e-presentation
server, or alternatively, may be generated by the e-flipchart or
provided in response to an input prompt to the user. The
e-presentation server may be a remote server that is connected to
the e-flipchart apparatus via a network. The functionality and
purpose of the e-presentation server is described below in FIG. 10.
The presentation ID may be a numerical ID, alphabetical ID, a
symbolic ID, or any combination thereof, and is configured to
uniquely identify the e-presentation displayed on the e-flipchart
apparatus. When an e-presentation is initially created, it may not
contain any content. Further, if the e-flipchart apparatus does not
receive any user input within a certain period of time, the
e-flipchart apparatus may transition to ready-mode. In one
embodiment of the invention, step 800 may be performed when the
e-flipchart apparatus is in either ready mode or active mode.
[0088] In Step 802, an input is detected by the e-flipchart
apparatus in ready-mode. In ready-mode, the apparatus is scanning
for input at a low frequency, e.g., twice per second. As described
above, the input detected by the reflective display may be a touch
input, a digital marker input, a proximity sensor input (e.g., when
a user approaches the e-flipchart apparatus), a network signal, or
any other suitable type of input. As described above, when an input
is detected, the apparatus changes state from ready-mode to the
active state. For example, in one or more embodiments of the
invention, when input is sensed by the electromagnetic board, a
signal is sent to the controller CPU which is running the energy
management software to "wake up" some or all the components and put
them in "active mode". The same process occurs when a signal is
detected via a GUI, touch input, or in a "wake up on LAN" input.
Step 802 may also be performed when the e-flipchart apparatus is in
active mode.
[0089] In step 804, an action is performed in response to the
received input. For example, the corresponding action may be to
activate one or more components of the e-flipchart apparatus,
convert input strokes to display rendered stroke images, display a
GUI, share information with another device, etc. In one or more
embodiments of the invention, when the input is received via a
digital marker on the surface of the apparatus, the apparatus may
identify a tip width of the digital marker via various methods. For
example, the electromagnetic board may detect the tip width of the
digital marker. Alternatively, the layer having at least one touch
portion may be configured to detect the tip width of the digital
marker. In yet another embodiment, the digital marker may transmit
a signal to the apparatus that includes information about the tip
width. In one or more embodiments of the invention, using
information about the tip width associated with the input received,
the apparatus may be configured to display a certain line width for
rendered strokes.
[0090] In Step 806, a data structure (shown in FIG. 5, for example)
for storing metadata associated with the e-presentation is
populated with a page ID and a display ID. In addition, the state
of the current page with the page ID is changed to active. In one
or more embodiments of the invention, the data structure may be
populated and stored locally, in the memory associated with the
e-flipchart apparatus, or may be stored remotely, for example, in
an e-presentation server or cloud computing environment. If the
data structure is stored locally, the data structure may be
backed-up (e.g., mirrored) on a remote server or in the cloud
computing environment. At this stage, various actions may be
performed resulting in writing or drawing on the current page. In
step 808 an input resulting in display of a new page may be
detected. For example, a touch input or gesture which results in a
page flip.
[0091] In step 810, when a second page is created as part of the
e-presentation, the data structure is populated with order
information, linking the first page to the new second page in the
e-presentation. In step 812, the new page of the e-presentation may
be assigned its own page ID, following that of the first page ID,
and display ID. In addition, the state of the first page is changed
to inactive, and the state of the current page, i.e., the second
page, is changed to active. In step 814, input is received by the
e-flipchart apparatus.
[0092] In step 816, a determination is made as to whether the input
received in Step 814 is a page flip action. If a page flip action
is detected, the method proceeds to Step 808 and the data structure
continues to populate itself with a third page ID and ordering
information for the second page is updated to reflect the link to
the third page. This process may repeat each time a page flip
action is detected by the e-flipchart apparatus. Alternatively, if
no page flip action is detected, then the process proceeds to step
818. In step 818, an action corresponding to the input received is
performed. In one embodiment of the invention, the process may not
end (i.e., various steps in FIG. 8 may be repeated), because the
e-flipchart apparatus does not turn "off." Rather, when input is
not detected for a predetermined amount of time, the e-flipchart
apparatus returns to "ready-mode" and waits for an input (Step
814).
[0093] FIGS. 9A-9E show examples of the method described in FIG. 8
above in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
In FIG. 9A, consider a scenario in which an e-presentation is
created by the e-flipchart apparatus. At some point after the
e-presentation is created, assume that a user walks up to the
e-flipchart apparatus and provides an input in the form of pressing
a button on or writing with a digital marker. Once the input is
detected, the action associated with the input is interpreted and,
in this example, result in content being associated with the first
page (902) of the e-presentation. The first page (902) (i.e., the
page on which characters are written, for example) is displayed on
the active area of the e-flipchart apparatus with a white
background. At this stage, the data structure (900) which stores
metadata associated with the e-presentation begins to be populated
with metadata. As shown in FIG. 9A, the metadata associated with
page 1 (902) includes the state of active, a page ID of 1, and a
display ID that identifies the e-flipchart apparatus. The owner ID
of the e-presentation may also be the ID of the e-flipchart
apparatus, or may be null for purposes of this example. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that no order information exists
for a single page e-presentation.
[0094] Now suppose the user gestures or provides a touch input
which the software of the e-flipchart apparatus interprets as a
page flip action. As shown in FIG. 9B, a second page is added to
the e-presentation, and the metadata for both page 1 (902) and page
2 (904) is updated/populated in the data structure (900).
Specifically, the state of page 1 (902) becomes inactive as it is
no longer the page that is displayed. Further, the display ID field
of page 1 (902) is updated to null. Order information is added to
page 1 (902) linking the page to the second page (904) in order.
For page 2 (904), an active state is retained, a new page ID is
assigned and the display ID is updated to be the ID of the
e-flipchart apparatus. Order information for page 2 (904) is
populated to reflect that page 2 (904) is linked to page 1 (902).
More specifically, page 2 (904) comes after page 1 (904). The order
information becomes important when a page flip action is performed.
Specifically, during normal operation, because the e-flipchart
apparatus mimics a traditional paper flipchart, pages must be
flipped in order (i.e., when using the page flip action, one cannot
jump from page 1 to page 4, for example, without also flipping
pages 2 and 3, although pages may be flipped in groups).
[0095] Continuation with the example, FIG. 9C depicts the metadata
associated with an e-presentation that is shared with other
owners/devices in order to collaborate on the e-presentation. In
FIG. 9C, a third page (906) is added to the e-presentation. In this
example, the third page is shared directly with another device
(Device 1), while the second page (904) is still displayed on the
active area of the e-flipchart apparatus. Device 1 (not shown) may
be any smart phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, a
smart/interactive white board, or any other suitable device capable
of displaying content and connecting to the e-flipchart apparatus
or the shared e-presentation server (1002). Further, Device 1 may
be connected to the e-flipchart apparatus via a point-to-point or a
network connection that may be wired or wireless, such as via the
Internet, or indirectly connected via a cloud server. Continuing
with the data structure (900) content, the first page (902) remains
inactive, and the second page (904) is updated to reflect that it
is linked to page 1 (902) before and page 3 (906) after. In one or
more embodiments of the invention, the state of the third page is
also active, because even though it is not displayed on the
e-flipchart apparatus, it is being displayed on another device
(i.e., Device 1). Accordingly, the Display ID of the third page
(906) is Device ID 1, which identifies Device 1.
[0096] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that page 3 (906)
of the e-presentation as described in FIG. 9C above may be shared
locally (i.e., in the same room with others viewing the
e-presentation) or remotely (i.e., via a network connection to
someone viewing the e-presentation on a remote device). Further,
information may be sent and received by Device 1 and the
e-flipchart apparatus bi-directionally, either through a server
configured to store and manage the entire e-presentation file, or
directly. Accordingly, a portion of or the entirety of
e-presentations created on the e-flipchart apparatus may be shared
and edited by a plurality of devices, all connected to the
e-flipchart apparatus or to a shared e-presentation server. This
allows for collaboration with audience members who are not
physically located in the room where the e-flipchart is
located.
[0097] FIG. 10 shows a system for sharing an e-presentation created
on an e-flipchart apparatus in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention. Specifically, FIG. 10 shows an
e-presentation server (1002) connected via a network (1004) to the
e-flipchart apparatus (1006) on which an e-presentation (1008) is
created. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the
e-presentation server (1002) may be a remote server configured to
store and manage the e-presentation as a shared file. For example,
the e-presentation server may be a cloud computing server or any
other suitable type of server. In such cases, as shown in FIG. 10,
the e-presentation server includes a copy of the e-presentation
(1008). In one or more embodiments of the invention, the
e-presentation server (1002) is configured to assign an
e-presentation ID to an e-presentation when it is created or
displayed on the e-flipchart apparatus display (1006). All the
pages of an e-presentation are then associated with this
e-presentation ID. In addition, the e-presentation server (1002) is
configured to enforce the permissions of the e-presentation and may
maintain and/or back-up the data structure (see e.g., FIG. 5) that
is created for each e-presentation. The e-presentation server
(1002) may also be configured to synchronize a shared
e-presentation based on multiple contemporaneous inputs from other
devices (e.g. 1007) connected to the same e-presentation.
[0098] In one embodiment of the invention, if multiple devices are
concurrently editing an e-presentation, then when a specific device
makes a change to the e-presentation, the device sends an
incremental update to the e-presentation server (1002). In response
to receiving the update, the e-presentation server updates its copy
of the e-presentation and then sends the incremental update to all
other devices (except the device that sent incremental update).
[0099] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 10, the network
(1004) may be any wired or wireless network configured to
facilitate bi-directional communication between the e-presentation
server (1002) and the e-flipchart apparatus and directly between
device 1 (1007) and device 2 (1010). As described above, the
network (1004) may be the Internet or any other suitable network.
Device 1 (1007) and Device 2 (1010) may be local devices in the
same room as the e-flipchart apparatus, or remote devices all
connected to the e-flipchart apparatus via the e-presentation
server (1002). Device 1 (1007) and Device 2 (1010) may be tablets,
smart phones, laptops, desktop PCs, a wearable device, such as a an
interactive watch or bracelet, or any other suitable device.
Alternatively, one or more of Device 1 (1007) and Device 2 (1010)
may be additional e-flipcharts. The system of FIG. 10 allows users
to see and collaborate on e-presentations that may be updated by a
remotely connected device in real-time. The following example
illustrates this concept using the components of FIG. 10.
[0100] Suppose that Device 1 (1007) is in the same physical
location as the e-flipchart (1006) and Device 2 (1010) is a remote
device. A presenter/user of the e-flipchart apparatus (1006) may,
while editing or showing the e-presentation, invite audience
members to collaborate and provide input in the form of writing or
drawing into the e-presentation that has been created and is being
presented on the e-flipchart apparatus. In this case, the
presenter/user may provide an input that results in Device 2 (1010)
being granted permission to edit the e-presentation. In such
scenarios, Device 2 (1010) may connect to the e-presentation server
via the network (1004), download the e-presentation, and then edit
the e-presentation concurrently with Device 1 (1008) and
e-flipchart apparatus (1006). When Device 2 (1010) is finished
editing, the e-presentation server may delete the Device 2 Display
ID. Multiple pages of the e-presentation may be shared
individually, or the entirety of the e-presentation may be shared
using the system of FIG. 10. Further, multiple pages of an
e-flipchart apparatus may be edited in parallel, and the
e-presentation server may be configured to synchronize the
e-presentation when editing is completed.
[0101] In an alternative embodiment, Device 2 (1010) may display a
GUI (1012) on its screen with various buttons for different
functions, one of them being a button with a page flip function.
Using the GUI, Device 2 (1010) may manipulate what is being
displayed on the active area on the e-flipchart apparatus, without
having actual editing capability. In order for Device 2 (1010) to
manipulate the content displayed on the e-flipchart, Device 2
(1010) must be connected to the e-flipchart apparatus (1006) or to
the e-presentation server (1002). The connection may be wireless or
wired. In this scenario, the owner of the e-presentation may
provide Device 2 (1010) with the GUI by providing an input that
allows Device 2 viewing permissions, but not editing
permissions.
[0102] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the
e-flipchart apparatus may be used in any suitable environment, for
example, where traditional paper flipcharts would conventionally be
useful. For example, the e-flipchart apparatus may be used in
conference rooms, classrooms, boardrooms, or any other suitable
environment. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the
e-flipchart apparatus is designed to connect to the outside world
using digital technology such as network connections, and to keep a
written record of what was written on the apparatus. In addition,
with the e-flipchart apparatus of the present invention, the
ability to create and store a presentation before it is presented
before an audience on the e-flipchart apparatus is available. For
example, the e-flipchart apparatus may have removable memory on
which a presentation may already be created and stored, and when
the removable memory is installed into the e-flipchart apparatus,
the pre-created e-presentation may be shown on the reflective
display. E-presentations created using the e-flipchart apparatus
may be stored, copied, shared, revised, transferred, and managed
using the information described above. Moreover, because the
e-flipchart apparatus uses a reflective display, it mimics the look
and feel of traditional paper flipcharts.
[0103] FIGS. 11-14 show flowcharts in accordance with one or more
embodiments of the invention. More specifically, FIGS. 11-14
describe methods for using the interactive device and the removable
media device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention. While the various steps in each flowchart are presented
and described sequentially, one of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that some or all of the steps may be executed in
different orders, may be combined or omitted, and/or may be
executed in parallel. In one embodiment of the invention, one or
more steps shown in FIGS. 11-14 may be performed in parallel with
one or more other steps shown in FIGS. 11-14. Furthermore, the
steps may be performed actively or passively. For example, some
steps may be performed using polling or be interrupt driven in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0104] FIG. 11 shows a flowchart for initializing the removable
media device by an initialization device (not shown), in accordance
with one or more embodiments of the invention. This initialization
process may be required to be performed prior to performing the
steps in FIGS. 12-14 The steps shown in FIG. 10 may be performed by
the initialization device, which may be any device that is capable
of executing configuration software as exemplified in FIG. 11. For
example, the initialization device may be a computing system that
is different from the interactive device (103), or it may the
interactive device (103).
[0105] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 11, in step 1102, the
initialization device executes the configuration software in order
to configure the removable media device. The configuration software
may be downloaded locally onto the initialization device or it may
be executed from a remote server. In step 1104, the initialization
device detects the presence of the removable media device connected
to the removable media port of the initialization device. This
detection may be automatic or it may be based on input received by
the initialization device, for example, from a user of the
removable media device. In step 1106, the configuration device
obtains the serial number of the identification device. The serial
number may be directly input into the configuration software or it
may be automatically obtained by the configuration software using
detection software. Upon receipt of the serial number, the
configuration software associates the removable media device with
the serial number of the identification device, to facilitate the
subsequent authentication of the removable media device.
[0106] In step 1108, the configuration device obtains the user
login credentials. This information may be manually input into the
configuration software or it may be automatically uploaded and
extracted from other programs or files, such as an active directory
database file. Upon receipt of the user login credentials, the
configuration software associates the user of the removable media
device with the removable media device.
[0107] In step 1110, the configuration device receives the default
insertion and the default removal actions of the removable media
device. As previously noted, the default insertion action may be an
instruction(s) to be performed by the interactive device, upon
detecting the insertion of and after the authentication of, the
removable media device. Additionally, as previously noted, the
default removal action may be an instruction(s) to perform upon the
detection of the removal of the removable media device by the
interactive device.
[0108] In one embodiment of the invention, there may be multiple
default insertion and/or removal actions. In such cases, each
default insertion action and/or removal action may be associated
with a set of conditions that must be satisfied in order for the
specific default insertion action and/or default removal action to
be performed.
[0109] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 11, in step 1112, the
initialization device creates an identification file and stores it
on the removable media device. The identification file includes, at
least in part, the serial number of the identification device, user
login credentials, and the default insertion and removal actions.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the identification
file may not include the default insert and/or removal actions.
[0110] FIG. 12 shows a flowchart for authenticating and creating a
session, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the
invention.
[0111] In step 1202, the interactive device detects and
authenticates the removable media device. In one embodiment of the
invention, the interactive device authenticates the removable media
device by comparing the serial number of the identification device
to the optionally encrypted or hashed identification device ID
stored in the ID file, upon detecting the connection of the
removable media device. In one embodiment of the invention, the
serial number is transmitted from the identification device through
a channel or communications medium other than the one used to
connect the removable media device to the interactive device. In
doing so, the system allows for the authentication of the removable
media device before the removable media device is accessed by the
interactive device.
[0112] Alternatively, the removable media device may be
authenticated without the use of a separate identification device.
For example, the interactive device may authenticate the removable
media device by comparing a hash of the identification device ID,
located within the removable media device, to the optionally
encrypted identification device ID included within the ID file. In
this example, the hash of the identification may be located at a
location other than the ID file.
[0113] In another embodiment of the invention, the removable media
device may be authenticated as follows: (i) obtaining a value
(e.g., a serial number, a device ID, etc.) from an identification
device (described above); (ii) applying a function (e.g., a hash
function or an encryption function) to the value obtained in (i) to
generate an identification device ID; (iii) obtaining an
identification device ID from the removable media device; and (iv)
comparing the identification device ID generated in (ii) to the
identification device ID obtained in (iii) to determine whether
they match. If there is a match, then the removable media device is
authenticated.
[0114] In another embodiment of the invention, the removable media
device may be authenticated as follows: (i) obtaining an
identification device ID from an identification device (described
above); (ii) obtaining an identification device ID from the ID
file; and (iii) comparing the identification device ID obtained in
(i) to the identification device ID obtained in (ii) to determine
whether they match. If there is a match, then the removable media
device is authenticated.
[0115] In one embodiment of the invention, step 1202 may also
include authentication of the user. For example, the interactive
device may prompt the user for credentials (e.g., username and
password). Upon receipt of such credentials, the interactive device
may compare the credentials (or a hash of the credentials) provided
by the user to the user login credentials (or a hash of the user
login credentials) in the ID file. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that any mechanism may be used to compare the received
credentials with the credentials in the user login credentials file
without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0116] In another embodiment of the invention, the user login
credentials (or a hash of the credentials) may be obtained from the
ID file and then provided to an external server (e.g., the
e-presentation server in FIG. 11). The external server may
subsequently authenticate the user. In such cases, the external
server may: (i) authenticate the user and (ii) confirm, using any
information that uniquely identifies the removable media device
(e.g., an removable media device ID), that the removable media
device is still a valid device for the user to use. For example,
consider a scenario in which a user (user 1) pre-configures two
removable media devices (RMD 1, RMD 2). Accordingly, in this
example, both RMD 1 and RMD 2 include its own ID file. Further, an
external server that is used to authenticate the user and the
removable media devices includes a mapping between the user and RMD
1 and RMD 2. At some point in time, the RMD 1 is stolen by a
malicious user. User 1 subsequently initiates the removal of the
mapping of user 1 to RMD 1 in the external server. If the malicious
user subsequently attempts to access the content on RMD 1, the
malicious user will be denied access. Specifically, while the
malicious user may use user 1's credentials for authentication and
information on the removable media device to authenticate the
removable media device, because the mapping between user 1 and RMD
1 has been removed from the external server, access to RMD 1 would
ultimately be denied to the malicious user.
[0117] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 12, upon successful
authentication, the user may then be permitted to access all or a
portion of the interactive device's functionality. For example, the
user may be permitted to store (both new and existing sessions),
retrieve, and edit data stored on the removable media device.
[0118] In one embodiment of the invention, if the user is not
authenticated, then the unauthenticated user may only have
permission to store new stroke data onto the removable device. In
one or more embodiments of the invention, the permissions
associated with the user of the removable media may be
pre-configured in a way that restricts the use of the removable
media device using a combination of methods, such as encrypting the
data repository so that it is only accessible after the user of the
removable media device has been authenticated by the interactive
device either via an existing session or some other mechanism. One
of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that this layered
approach to authentication provides both security against
unauthorized removable media devices, which are often the source of
malware propagations, data theft, and other security breaches, as
well as unauthorized users of an authorized removable media
device.
[0119] Depending on the implementation of the invention, the
process may proceed to step 1202 when (i) the removable media
device is authenticated; (ii) the user is authenticated; or (iii)
when both the removable media device and the user are both
authenticated. If none of conditions (i)-(iii) are satisfied, the
process may end. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 1204.
[0120] In step 1204, the interactive device determines whether an
existing user is currently logged into the interactive device. An
existing user is any user that is logged into the interactive
device (whether active or idle) at the time the determination is
step 1204 is performed. The existing user may have logged in using
the method shown in FIG. 12 or may have logged into the interactive
device directly (without the use of a removable media device) or
through some other mechanism. If there is an existing user logged
into the interactive device, the process proceeds to step 1206;
otherwise, the process may proceed to step 1210 or to step 1214.
The process may proceed to step 1214 in the event that interactive
device is used without the user logging into the interactive
device. In such cases, the user may be able to access content
stored on the removable media device but may not be able to access
any other content that is associated with a logged in user (such as
cloud storage) and may not be able to access other features of the
interactive device that are associated with a logged in user.
[0121] In step 1206, the interactive device determines whether the
existing user logged into the interactive device is the same user
that was authenticated in step 1202. If the existing user logged
into the interactive device is the same user that was authenticated
in step 1202, then steps 1208, 1212 and/or step 1214 may be
performed; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 1216.
[0122] In step 1208, the interactive device automatically stores
the stroke data of the existing logged in user onto the removable
media device. More specifically, when there is no removable media
device connected to the interactive device, the stroke data may be
stored locally on the interactive device and/or remotely (e.g., in
cloud storage, see e.g., FIG. 1A). In such cases, when the
removable media device is inserted and both the user and the
removable media device are authenticated, then the aforementioned
stroke data for the session map be stored in the removable media
device. The process may then proceed to step 1214 (or step
1212).
[0123] In step 1212, the interactive device may perform the
insertion default action stored on the removable media device,
which may specify other actions to take, as an alternative of, or
in addition to, storing the stroke data onto the removable media
device. For example, the default insertion action may specify a
different area for storing the stroke data, such as in the cloud
storage, or it may instruct the interactive device to create a new
session. Additionally, if there is no stroke data present on the
interactive device at the time that steps 1208 and 1212 (if
applicable) are executed (e.g. because the default insertion action
instructed the interactive device to create a new session), then
the interactive device proceeds to step 1214, where it awaits
stroke input (as described above).
[0124] Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 12, referring back to
step 1204, if the interactive device determines that an existing
user is not currently logged into the interactive device, the
process proceeds to step 1210. In step 1210, the user (i.e., the
user authenticated in step 1210) is logged into the interactive
device. The interactive device then proceeds to steps 1212-1214, as
previously described above.
[0125] Referring back to step 1206, if a determination is made that
the existing user logged into the interactive device is not the
same user that was authenticated in step 1202, the process proceeds
to step 1216. In step 1216, existing user is logged out of the
interactive device, the process may then proceed to step 1210 or
step 1214. The stroke data (and other data/information) associated
with the logged out user may be stored locally and/or remotely.
[0126] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart for storing stroke data, in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0127] In step 1302, the interactive device detects whether there
is a presence of stroke input on the interactive display. As
previously discussed, the stroke input may be a dot, a line, a
letter, a drawing, a word, or a series of words made on the
interactive display using a digital marker or stylus pen. In step
1304, the interactive device stores the stroke input as stroke data
in the volatile memory of the interactive device.
[0128] In step 1306, the interactive device copies the stroke data
from the volatile memory onto the persistent storage (which may
include local persistent storage, cloud storage, or persistent
storage on a removable media device). Upon the detection and
authentication of the removable media device, the interactive
device copies the stroke data from its volatile memory to the data
repository of the removable media device. As previously discussed,
the stroke data is stored in the removable media device in a
database format, for later reference and retrieval.
[0129] Referring back to step 1302, if the interactive device does
not detect stroke input on the interactive display at a certain
point in time, the interactive device enters into a continuous
loop, as shown in FIG. 13. Once the loop is entered, the
interactive device periodically checks for stroke input until it
either detects stroke input, thereby proceeding to steps 1304-1306
as previously described, or the process is discontinued by some
other action.
[0130] In one embodiment of the invention, the stroke data may be
temporarily stored on the volatile memory of the interactive
display until a certain amount of stroke data has been received
(referred to as aggregated stroke data). Once a certain amount of
stroke data has been received, the aggregated stroke data is stored
on persistent storage (See e.g., step 1306).
[0131] FIG. 14 shows a flowchart for erasing stroke data in
accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention.
[0132] In step 1402, the interactive device detects the
disconnection of the removable media device. For the purposes of
this invention, a removable media device is disconnected from the
interactive device when it is no longer operatively connected in a
manner that facilitates the execution of certain method steps, such
as those embodied in FIGS. 12-13. The disconnection may result from
either physical or virtual disturbances. For example, the
interactive device may detect the disconnection of the removable
media device as the result of a user physically removing the
removable media device from the removable media port of the
interactive device. As another example, the interactive device may
detect the disconnection as a result of an automatic session
disconnection due to inactivity on the interactive device after a
specified period of time, or as a result of a user unmounting (or
otherwise disconnecting) the removable media device from the
interactive device via the user interface of the interactive
device.
[0133] In step 1404, the interactive device obtains the default
removal action. As previously mentioned, the default removal
action, which is stored within the ID file of the removable media
device, may instruct the interactive device on the action(s) to
take upon detecting the disconnection or removal of the removable
media device. For example, the default removal action may be to
erase all traces of the stroke data from all components of the
interactive device. As another example, the default removal action
may be to store a copy of the stroke data in a specified area of
persistent storage, such as the persistent storage of the
interactive device, and then erase all traces of the stroke data
from all components of the interactive device other than the
persistent storage.
[0134] In step 1406, the interactive device determines whether to
immediately erase the stroke data from the interactive display,
based on the presence or absence of the default removal action. If
the default removal action was not modified by the user to include
additional instructions during the pre-configuration of the
removable media device, then the interactive device proceeds to
step 1408, erasing the stroke data from the interactive display, as
well as any traces of the stroke data from all components of the
interactive device. The interactive device may then end that
particular removable media device session. In order to re-initiate
the use of the removable media device after the session has ended,
the removable media device must again undergo the authentication
process, as described in FIG. 12. In step 1410, assuming the
default removal action was modified by the user during the
pre-configuration of the removable media device to include
additional instructions, the interactive device may perform the
default removal action as specified by the user.
[0135] The following example is for explanatory purposes only and
not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Consider a
scenario in which there exist multiple presenters giving
presentations at an annual conference. The presentations are given
in a conference room, which is equipped with an interactive device
and a virtual marker pen. During past conferences, the coordinator
has had to deal with various logistical and security nightmares, as
a result of multiple presenters sharing the interactive whiteboard.
To remedy some of those issues, the coordinator provided each
presenter with their own pre-configured USB device. As a general
policy, the coordinator banned the use of all personal USB devices,
after experiencing a malware outbreak resulting from an infected
USB device. Now the coordinator only allows the presenters to use
the USB devices pre-configured and issued by him.
[0136] The first presenter begins her presentation and uses the
interactive device to explain her main points with various text,
drawings, and graphs. She forgets to insert her USB device into the
interactive device before beginning, as instructed by the
coordinator. After finishing up the first half of her presentation,
everyone, including the first presenter, leaves the conference room
for a lunch break.
[0137] A second presenter, who wants to get a head start on his
presentation drawings during the lunch break, goes into the
conference room to use the interactive device. He inserts his USB
device into the interactive device in order to be able to save his
work on it. Upon detection of the USB device into the interactive
device, the interactive device authenticates the USB device to
verify that it is an authorized USB device. Upon authentication of
the USB device, the interactive device detects the first
presenter's is still logged into the interactive device. Based on
this detection, the interactive device stores the first presenter's
work and logs out the first presenter By doing so, the interactive
device preserves the state of the first presenter's work, despite
the fact that she forgot to save it to her USB device before going
to lunch. Because the coordinator did not specify an alternate
default insertion action during pre-configuration, the second
presenter's work will be stored directly onto his USB device.
[0138] When the first presenter returns from the break, she is
horrified to see that her presentation is no longer on the
interactive display and that the second presenter has started a new
presentation. The second presenter assures her that her
presentation is intact and quickly removes his USB device from the
interactive device. Because every stroke input into the interactive
device by the second presenter was saved onto the second
presenter's USB device in near real-time, the second presenter is
able to quickly end his session. Additionally, because the stroke
input is saved on his USB device in database format with
corresponding metadata, the interactive device will be able to
automatically restore the second user's work so that he is able to
continue where he left off before removing the USB device.
Furthermore, because the default removal action is set to erase all
traces of a presenter's stroke data upon detection of the removal
of the USB device, the data is removed from the interactive
device's volatile memory, as well as any other components of the
interactive device, upon the ending of the second presenter's
session.
[0139] After ending the second presenter's session, the first
presenter is able to log back into the interactive device. Once the
user is logged in, the interactive device restores the first
presenter's session, completely intact. The first user then inserts
and authenticates her USB device. Because the first presenter
directly logged into the interactive device using the same
credentials that were pre-configured onto her USB device by the
coordinator, the interactive device determines that she is both the
existing user and the user of the USB device. Therefore, the first
presenter has the choice of continuing her existing session and/or
creating a new session. Additionally, all of her work on the
interactive device may be automatically saved to her USB
device.
[0140] Software instructions in the form of computer readable
program code to perform embodiments of the invention may be stored,
in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently, on a
non-transitory computer readable medium such as a CD, DVD, storage
device, a diskette, a tape, flash memory, physical memory, or any
other computer readable storage medium. Specifically, the software
instructions may correspond to computer readable program code that
when executed by a processor(s), is configured to perform
embodiments of the invention.
[0141] Further, one or more elements of the aforementioned
computing system may be located at a remote location and connected
to the other elements over a network. Further, embodiments of the
invention may be implemented on a distributed system having a
plurality of nodes, where each portion of the invention may be
located on a different node within the distributed system. In one
embodiment of the invention, the node corresponds to a distinct
computing device. Alternatively, the node may correspond to a
computer processor with associated physical memory. The node may
alternatively correspond to a computer processor or micro-core of a
computer processor with shared memory and/or resources.
[0142] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having
benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments
can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention
as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should
be limited only by the attached claims.
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