Rich multi-media format for use in a collaborative computing system

• US 20030182375A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebEx Communications Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Min, Pong, Alfred Lian Fui, Wei, Songxiang
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system, method, and article of manufacture that allow a document containing custom objects to be shared in a distributed collaborative computer system. This is accomplished by allowing custom objects to be embedded in a document. When the document is to be shared, the document with custom objects is converted to a Rich Multi-Media (RMM) format. Furthermore, the converted document may be shared during a collaborative session among multiple computers. Alternatively, the converted document may be viewed by a user independent of a collaborative session.

Claims

1. A computer system for sharing a document in a distributed collaborative environment:

a computer;

one or more computer programs executable by the computer, wherein the one or more computer programs comprise computer instructions for;

creating a document with one or more embedded custom objects;

converting the document to a rich multi-media format; and

controlling rendering of the document during a collaborative session.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer is a presenter client computer and the computer system further comprises:

a conferencing server computer connected to the presenter client computer and to one or more attendee client computers via a global-area network; and

a computer program at the conferencing server computer, wherein the computer program comprises instructions for;

receiving a command for sharing the document from the presenter client computer; and

forwarding the command to each of the attendee client computers such that the command is executed synchronously at the presenter and attendee client computers.

3. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising:

a computer program executable by each attendee client computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for;

receiving a command from the conferencing server computer; and

executing the command to render the document in synch with the presenter client computer.

4. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising:

a streaming server computer connected to the presenter client computer and the one or more attendee client computers via a global-area network for storing data to be accessed by the client computers during a collaborative session.

5. A computer system for viewing a document, the computer system comprising:

a computer; and

a computer program executable by the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for;

identifying an embedded custom object in the document;

inserting information about the embedded custom object into a rich multi-media format document;

inserting the embedded custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document using the inserted information during a collaborative session.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for:

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document by invoking a component application.

7. A computer system for converting a document for distributed collaborative computing, the computer system comprising:

a computer; and

a computer program executable by the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for;

scanning a portion of a document for a custom object; and

inserting information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

scanning the portion of the document for a non-custom object; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

embedding the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

inserting a link to the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

12. A computer system for converting a document for distributed collaborative computing, the computer system comprising:

a computer; and

a computer program executable by the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for;

scanning a portion of a document for an object;

identifying whether the object is a custom object or a non-custom object;

if the object is a custom object,

obtaining identification information for the custom object;

inserting the identification information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

if the object is a non-custom object,

inserting information about the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

13. A method for sharing a document, the method comprising:

creating a document with one or more embedded custom objects;

converting the document to a rich multi-media format; and

controlling rendering of the document during a collaborative session.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling rendering further comprises:

under control of a first computer, transmitting a command for sharing the document to a second computer for transmission to additional computers, such that the command is executed synchronously at the first computer and each of the additional computers.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

under control of each of the additional computers,

receiving the command from the second computer; and

executing the command to render the document in synch with the first computer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing a streaming server computer for data required to render the document.

17. A method for viewing a document, comprising:

identifying an embedded custom object in the document;

inserting information about the embedded custom object into a rich multi-media format document;

inserting the embedded custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document using the inserted information during a collaborative session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document by invoking a component application.

19. A method for converting a document for distributed collaborative computing, the method comprising:

scanning a portion of a document for a custom object; and

inserting information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

scanning the portion of the document for a non-custom object; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein inserting the custom object further comprises:

embedding the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein inserting the custom object further comprises:

inserting a link to the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

24. A method for converting a document for distributed collaborative computing, the method comprising:

scanning a portion of a document for an object;

identifying whether the object is a custom object or a non-custom object;

if the object is a custom object,

obtaining identification information for the custom object;

inserting the identification information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

if the object is a non-custom object,

inserting information about the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

25. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a computer, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:

creating a document with one or more embedded custom objects;

converting the document to a rich multi-media format; and

controlling rendering of the document during a collaborative session.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the computer is a first computer and wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

transmitting a command for sharing the document from the first computer to a second computer for transmission to additional computers, such that the command is executed synchronously at the first computer and each of the additional computers.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

accessing a streaming server computer for data required to render the document.

28. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a computer, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:

identifying an embedded custom object in the document;

inserting information about the embedded custom object into a rich multi-media format document;

inserting the embedded custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document using the inserted information during a collaborative session.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

rendering the embedded custom object in the rich multi-media format document by invoking a component application.

30. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a computer, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:

scanning a portion of a document for a custom object; and

inserting information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

scanning the portion of the document for a non-custom object; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

embedding the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

inserting a link to the custom object into the rich multi-media format document.

35. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a computer, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:

scanning a portion of a document for an object;

identifying whether the object is a custom object or a non-custom object;

if the object is a custom object,

obtaining identification information for the custom object;

inserting the identification information about the custom object into a rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

if the object is a non-custom object,

inserting information about the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document; and

inserting the non-custom object into the rich multi-media format document.