US Patent 4,974,173: Small-scale workspace representations indicating activities by other users (Xerox Corporation)

Title: Small-scale workspace representations indicating activities by other users
Patent Number: US Patent 4,974,173
Issued: November 27, 1990
Filed: February 22, 1990
Parent case: This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/127,814, filed Dec. 2, 1987 now abandoned.
Inventor(s): Stefik, Mark J. et al.
Assignee: Xerox Corporation
Referenced at issuance: n/a
Referenced after issuance: US Patent 5,107,443 (Xerox Corporation) Φ, US Patent 5,220,657 (Xerox Corporation) Φ, US Patent 5,515,491 (IBM Corporation) and US Patent 6,240,414 (eiSolutions, Inc.).
Blogger comment:

There were 7 references to prior patents at issuance. None are deemed remarkable for the scope and purposes of this blog.

An advanced search at USPTO online on May 9, 2008 for distinguishing references to this patent after its issuance using ref/4974173 reveals 166 references. A more refined search reveals US Patent 5,107,443, US Patent 5,220,657, US Patent 5,515,491 and US Patent 6,240,414.

Other inventor comments:

Structured Data Objects: US Patent 5,388,196 commenting on US Patent 4,974,173 Φ

Structured Data Objects: US Patent 5,220,657 commenting on US Patent 4,974,173 Φ

Collaborative Data Sharing Environments: Comment by US Patent 7,028,074 Φ

Abstract:

In a collaborative system in which a body of shared data may be accessed by more than one user, a small-scale representation of the body of shared data displayed to one user includes an indication of the activities of other users.

Independent claims (as numbered):

1. A method of operating a collaborative system that includes a plurality of workstations each having a respective display and a respective user input device, the collaborative system further including a set of bodies of shared data, each of the workstations being connected to access the bodies of shared data for presentation of a respective full-scale representation of any of the bodies of shared data on the respective display, the respective full-scale representation of any of the bodies of shared data occupying a substantial part of the respective display, the collaborative system further being for presenting the respective full-scale representations of any of the bodies of shared data concurrently on the respective displays of more than one of the workstations, the method comprising:

presenting on the respective display of a first one of the workstations a set of small-scale representations, each small-scale representation representing a respective one of the bodies of shared data, each small-scale representation occupying a small part of the first workstation's respective display, a first one of the set of small-scale representations representing a first one of the bodies of shared data; presenting on the respective display of a second one of the workstations the respective full-scale representation of the first body of shared data; and

upon receiving a signal requesting activity affecting the first body of shared data from the respective user input device of the second workstation, presenting in the first small-scale representation an indication of the activity at the second workstation.

15. A method of operating a collaborative system that includes a plurality of workstations each having a respective display and a respective user input device, the collaborative system further including a set of bodies of shared data, each of the workstations being connected to access the bodies of shared data for presentation of a respective full-scale representation of any of the bodies of shared data on the respective display, the respective full-scale representation of any of the bodies of shared data occupying a substantial part of the respective display, the collaborative system further being for presenting the respective full-scale representations of any of the bodies of shared data concurrently on the respective displays of more than one of the workstations, the method comprising:

presenting on the respective display of a first one of the workstations a set of small-scale representations, each small-scale representation representing a respective one of the bodies of shared data, each small-scale representation occupying a small part of the first workstation's respective display, a first one of the set of small-scale representations representing a first one of the bodies of shared data; presenting on the respective display of a second one of the workstations the respective full-scale representation of the first body of shared data; and

upon receiving a signal requesting activity relating to the first body of shared data from the respective user input device of the second workstation, presenting in the first small-scale representation an indication of the activity at the second workstation.