A SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVE SHARING OF AN APPLICATION WINDOW

• US 20060271877A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Theurer, David Frederic
• Application Number:
  US10/908,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method of selective sharing of an application window includes the step of selecting, at a source node, a first application window for sharing with at least one consumer node. A determination is made that a second window obscures at least some of the first application window. The first window is displayed on at least one consumer node, unobscured by the second window.

Claims

1. A method for selective sharing of an application window, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting, at a source node, a first application window for sharing with at least one consumer node;

(b) determining that a second application window obscures at least some of the first application window; and

(c) displaying, on at least one consumer node, the first application window unobscured by the second application window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises selecting, at a source node, a portion of a desktop environment for sharing with at least one consumer node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises selecting, at the source node, a second application window for sharing with the at least one consumer node, the second application window comprising a window owned by the first application window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises not displaying the second application window to the at least one consumer node.

5. A method for selective sharing of an application window, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting, by a source node, a first application window to share with at least one consumer node;

(b) identifying, by the source node, a change in display data associated with the first application window;

(c) detecting, by the source node, that the change includes display data associated with a second application window;

(d) determining, by the source node, that the second application window is not selected for sharing with the at least one consumer node; and

(e) determining, by the source node, not to generate a data packet representing the change.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (a) further comprises selecting a plurality of application windows to share with at least one consumer node, the plurality of application windows forming a desktop environment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein step (c) further comprises detecting, by the source node, that the second application window has a window identifier different from a window identifier of the first application window.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein step (c) further comprises determining whether a change to display data associated with a second application window collides with a change to display data associated with the application window.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein step (e) further comprises generating the data packet responsive to a determination in step (d) that the change associated with the second application window is selected for sharing with the at least one consumer node.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of indicating to a user of the source node that the presentation of display data associated with the application window is paused.

11. In a system for selective sharing of an application window, a node comprising:

a capture engine identifying a change to a set of display data associated with an application window and storing the set of display data;

a collision detector, in communication with the capture engine, determining whether a change to the set of display data includes display data associated with a second application window and determining whether the second application window is selected for sharing; and

a packet generator generating a data packet representing the change to the set of display data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the capture engine further comprises identifying a change to an application window selected by a user of the node for sharing.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the capture engine further comprises capturing a section of a screen displayed to a user of the node.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the capture engine further comprises capturing a frame in a presentation to at least one consumer node.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the collision detector further comprises requesting a data packet from the packet generator if a change associated with the application window comprises data associated with the application window.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the collision detector further comprises requesting a data packet from the packet generator if a change associated with the application window comprises display data associated with the application window and a second application window selected for sharing.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the collision detector further comprises indicating to a user of the node that no change to the display data associated with the first application window is transmitted to the at least one consumer node.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the packet generator further comprises generating a data packet representing the set of display data associated with the first application window at the time the capture engine identified the change to the set of display data.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the packet generator further comprises generating the data packet responsive to a request from the collision detector.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the packet generator further comprises generating the data packet responsive to a determination by the collision detector that the second application window is selected for sharing.

21. The system of claim 11 further comprising a transmitter receiving from the packet generator a data packet and transmitting the data packet for presentation to the at least one consumer node.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the second application window is owned by the first application window.

23. The system of claim 11 further comprising a third application window displaying a frame around the first application window to indicate to a user of the node that the first application window is selected for sharing.

24. The system of claim 11 further comprising a third application window associated with the first application window and blocking the presentation of a desktop environment on which the first application window is displayed.