Apple files for patent involving collaboration on virtual works of art

Apple has filed for a patent for “Systems, Methods, And Computer-Readable Media For Managing Collaboration On A Virtual Work Of Art.”

About the patent filing

The patent filing involves systems, methods, and computer-readable media for sharing graphical object data and, more particularly, to systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing collaboration on a virtual work of art between multiple electronic devices.

In the patent filing Apple note that some electronic devices (such as iPads) include a graphical display system for generating and presenting graphical objects, such as free-form drawing strokes, images, strings of text, and drawing shapes, on a display to create a virtual work of art. The processing capabilities and interfaces provided to a user for creating such works of art often vary between different types of electronic devices. 

However, Apple says that the ways in which two or more electronic devices may allow one or more users to collaborate on a single virtual work of art may be “confusing or inefficient.” Apple wants to make it easier to collaborate and share graphical data.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for managing collaboration on a virtual work of art between multiple electronic devices are provided. A first graphical display system of a first device may generate an input command in response to receiving user information through a user interface of the first device, and may then share this input command with a second graphical display system of a second device. 

“The first graphical display system may process the shared input command to generate pixel array data in a canvas of the first device while the second graphical display system may process the shared input command to generate pixel array data in a canvas of the second device. By sharing input commands rather than pixel array data, system latency may be reduced. Despite operating on the same artwork, the user interfaces and graphical processing capabilities of each device may vary, thereby providing the user greater expressiveness.”

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