Rich Multi-Media Format For Use in a Collaborative Computing System

• US 20070044017A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Min, Wei, Songxiang, Pong, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US11/424,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20070044017A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• 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 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.

2. The computer system of claim 1, 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.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the custom object further comprises:

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

3. 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.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

5. The computer system of claim 3, 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.

6. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

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

7. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

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

11. 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.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

13. The method of claim 11, 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.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein inserting the custom object further comprises:

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

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, 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.

19. 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.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

obtaining an identifier for the custom object.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, 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.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

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

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises computer instructions for:

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

24. 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.