Abstract: A heterogeneous content channel manager is provided for content management and collaboration within and across interactive workspaces. A content channel bar, available on each of the displays in the workspace(s), contains two or more unique representations of respectively two or more different channels available in the interactive workspace(s). Within the set of available channels on each channel bar two or more different channel types are represented. Furthermore, each one of the unique representations in the content channel bar represents different and unique content supported by their respective channels and their types. Channel selection on the channel bar initiates display, on the display where the channel selection was made, of the content represented by the selected representation and channel in a manner appropriate for the channel's type.

Abstract: An interactive workspace with multiple users and machines is characterized by an input redirection method whereby user-specific information is associated to the user input device that the user is controlling on one of the machines. The system allows the associated information to follow the user input device as it is redirected to control any of the other machines. Accordingly a point-of-presence is created for the user on the other machines, which includes the associated user-specific information. The associated user-specific information that was bound to the user input device to one of the machines can be transferred to where the user has a point-of-presence due to redirection of the user's input device. The user's input device and transferred user-specific information are independent from the: (i) actions performed and information specific to other users, and (ii) functionality of applications running on the other machines by the other users.

Abstract: In a highly integrated computing environment having a collection of linked software and hardware that allows one or more users to readily structure, display and manipulate various information used to design and implement a large project, two classes of new software tools, viewers and controllers, are disclosed herein to support the construction industry and to enhance the simultaneous visualization of complex information sets on two or more interactive electronic displays. Information Viewers display table, tree, and document views of information representing different viewpoints and approaches of the same project. The Synchronizing Controller links the various, distributed applications to a common date, time, event, and the likes. The Information Viewers are also controllers that extract related data from different applications. The Universal Controller manages and organizes data and applications in the integrated computing environment.