Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for interfacing a plurality of users to a plurality of applications on a common display device

US5442788A · kind A · utility

131Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1992
Grant dateAug 15, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/542
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multi-user multi-device system enables a plurality of users to control a single screen. Each user has one or more input devices, which can be used to control one or more stored applications. At any time, the system produces a consistent view of all applications on the single screen. The input from each user produces a response customized to the preferences of that user. Each user can inform the system of which devices that user is using. Inputs to the system initiate the building of Event Records that are queued and then directed to specific applications. The screen is updated, and the coordinates of child applications are determined, only during pauses in the operations of all applications.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.