Control unit operations in a real-time collaboration server
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Abstract
In a real-time collaboration server, a control unit manages a collaboration mode. The control unit operates a virtual client that maintains a virtual screen reflecting the status of the collaboration (e.g., the contents of a shared desktop or whiteboard). The virtual client renders collaboration data within the virtual screen. New clients are synchronized with an ongoing collaboration by packing and sending them a copy of the virtual screen. The control unit maintains a queue of collaboration data to be sent to participating clients. Each client may have a pointer identifying the queued data it is processing. The queue may be collapsed (e.g., when it reaches a maximum size) by sending a copy of the virtual screen to one or more clients that have not yet consumed old data in the queue; those clients are then updated to skip the queue entries embodied in the virtual screen.
10 Citations
45 Claims
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1-24. -24. (canceled)
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25. A method of managing a queue of collaboration data for clients participating in a real-time collaboration, comprising:
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operating a control unit configured to manage dissemination of collaboration data to clients participating in a real-time collaboration;
in said control unit, maintaining a queue to store said collaboration data, wherein the clients are configured to consume said collaboration data in the order queued;
for each client, maintaining a reference identifying the queue entry comprising data currently being processed by the client; and
executing a virtual client configured to maintain a virtual screen comprising a portion of the collaboration data; and
collapsing the queue by;
transmitting said virtual screen to a first client; and
updating the client'"'"'s reference to identify the queue entry comprising the newest data included in said virtual screen. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of managing a queue of collaboration data for clients participating in a real-time collaboration, the method comprising:
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operating a control unit configured to manage dissemination of collaboration data to clients participating in a real-time collaboration;
in said control unit, maintaining a queue to store said collaboration data, wherein the clients are configured to consume said collaboration data in the order queued;
for each client, maintaining a reference identifying the queue entry comprising data currently being processed by the client; and
executing a virtual client configured to maintain a virtual screen comprising a portion of the collaboration data; and
collapsing the queue by;
transmitting said virtual screen to a first client; and
updating the client'"'"'s reference to identify the queue entry comprising the newest data included in said virtual screen.
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32. A real-time collaboration system, comprising:
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a control unit configured to manage a mode of a real-time collaboration in which content of a first attendee'"'"'s client is shared with other attendees'"'"' clients;
a virtual client configured to maintain a virtual screen configured to mirror said content;
a queue in which said control unit stores said content for transmission to the other attendees'"'"' clients;
for each attendee'"'"'s client, a corresponding reference identifying a queue entry containing content the client is currently processing; and
one or more communication modules configured to transmit said content to the other attendees'"'"' clients;
- View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification