System and method for cooperative sharing of resources of an environment

Abstract

A computer program product for providing a graphical user interface for displaying of and enabling cooperative use of resources on a display of a computing device includes computer readable code means, the computer readable code means when executed by a processor device, being configured to provide an environment, the environment being configured to represent the resources on the display of the computing device, provide a first viewport to at least a portion of the environment on the display of the computing device, enable a resource to be added to the environment and be viewed within the first viewport and enable the resource to be acted upon within the first viewport.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product for providing a graphical user interface for displaying of and enabling cooperative use of resources on a display of a computing device, the computer program product comprising:
 computer readable code means, the computer readable code means when executed by a processor device, being configured to:   provide a desktop environment;   provide a first viewport configured to show at least a portion of the desktop environment on the display of the computing device;   enable a resource to be added to the desktop environment and to be viewed within the first viewport; and   enable the resource to be acted upon within the first viewport.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 provide a second viewport to the desktop environment;   enable the resource to be viewed from within the second viewport; and   enable the resource to be acted upon within the second viewport.   
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 2 , wherein the second viewport is provided on a display of a different computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 2 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 enable another resource to be added to the desktop environment through the first viewport or the second viewport; and   enable the another added resource to be viewed and acted upon through both the first viewport and the second viewport.   
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 4 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to enable a layout of resources to be represented differently in different viewports. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 enable a first resource to be added to the desktop environment through first viewport from the computing device; and   enable a second resource to be added to the desktop environment through a first viewport on another computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 provide a second viewport to the portion of the desktop environment on another computing device;   enable the resource to be viewed within both of the first viewport and the second viewport; and   enable the resource to be acted on within both of the first viewport and the second viewport.   
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 enable a representation of the resource to appear in a different scale within the first viewport based on a region of the desktop environment encompassed by the first viewport.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to arrange resources in the portion of the desktop environment within the first viewport so that the resources do not substantially overlap along an X-Y plane. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to:
 provide resources on the display of the computing device outside of the first viewport; and   enable manipulation of the resources outside of the first viewport independently from the resource within the first viewport.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to provide an indication within the first viewport of a presence of a user with respect to the desktop environment and a distance from another user. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to enable the first viewport to be moved from a first position on the display of the computing device to a second position on the display. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to resize the first viewport. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the resource comprises a set of one or more application windows. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the set of one or more application windows are configured to be maintained in a non-minimized state. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , the computer readable code means when executed by the processor device being configured to determine an amount of interest towards resources in a group of resources and arranging the resources in the group of resources so that a layout of the resources reflects the amount of interest towards the resources. 
     
     
         17 . A method for providing a graphical user interface for displaying and enabling cooperation with resources on a display of a computing device, comprising:
 providing desktop environment, the environment being configured to represent the resources on the display of the computing device;   providing a first viewport configured to show to at least a portion of the desktop environment on the display of the computing device;   enabling a resource to be added to the desktop environment and to be viewed within the first viewport; and   enabling the resource to be acted upon within the first viewport.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 providing a second viewport to the desktop environment;   enabling the resource to be viewed from within the second viewport; and   enabling the resource to be acted upon within the second viewport.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second viewport is provided on a display of a different computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 enabling another resource to be added to the desktop environment through the first viewport or the second viewport; and   enabling the another added resource to be viewed and acted upon through both the first viewport and the second viewport.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising enable layouts of resources to be represented differently in different viewports. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising enabling a first resource and a second resource in the second viewport to be acted upon independently through the first viewport and the second viewport. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 enabling a first resource to be added to the desktop environment through first viewport from the computing device; and   enabling a second resource to be added to the desktop environment through a first viewport on another computing device.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 providing a second viewport to the portion of the desktop environment on another computing device;   enabling the resource to be viewed within both of the first viewport and the second viewport; and   enabling the resource to be acted on within both of the first viewport and the second viewport.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 enabling a representation of the resource to appear in a different scale within the first viewport based on a position of the first viewport relative to the desktop environment.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising arranging resources in the portion of the desktop environment within the first viewport so that the resources do not substantially overlap along an X-Y plane. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 providing resources on the display of the computing device outside of the first viewport; and   enabling manipulation of the resources outside of the first viewport independently from the resource within the first viewport.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 enabling resources within the first viewport to be shared between at least a first user and a second user; and   enabling the first user to navigate between resources within the desktop environment independently of the second user.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising providing an indication within the first viewport of a presence of a user with respect to the desktop environment and a distance from another user. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising enabling the first viewport to be moved from a first position on the display of the computing device to a second position on the display. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the resource comprises a set of application windows. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the set of application windows are configured to be maintained in a non-minimized state. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising determining which resources are frequently accessed resources and which are less frequently accessed resources and position the frequently accessed resources toward a central position relative to other resources, and position the less frequently accessed resources away from the central position. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising automatically repositioning or resizing resources within the first viewport as new resources are added to enable the resources in the first viewport to remain fully visible in the first viewport. 
     
     
         35 . A display device for displaying and enabling cooperation with resources, the display device comprising:
 a user interface; and   a controller in communication with the user interface, the controller having a memory including programming instructions that when executed by a processor are configured to cause the controller to:
 provide a desktop environment; 
 provide one or more viewports to the desktop environment; 
 enable one or more resources to be added to the desktop environment, the viewport providing a gateway to the resources that enables interaction with the resources through the user interface; and 
 enable selection of a resource within a viewport to bring the selected resource to a forefront of the user interface.