Desktop sharing method and system

• US 20080065996A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Patrick, Lovece, Benjamin, Gour, Derek, Noel, Vicki, van Ieperen, Taco, Mitchell, Daniel, Zhou, Yiping
• Application Number:
  US11/712,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065996A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A desktop sharing system and method are provided. A desktop sharing application permits a selected display region on a first computer'"'"'s desktop to be shared with other computers. The desktop sharing application permits another computer to assume control and share a selected display region of the other computer'"'"'s desktop during a conference.

Claims

1. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data within a selected display region of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer; and

displaying the identified image data at said at least one other computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is adjustable.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is dynamically adjustable.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said selected display region is dynamically adjusted by moving a border within window frame, the area encompassed by said border constituting said selected display region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is sized to exclude one or more controls displayed by said one computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying in a toolbar in the selected display region of said one computer, said toolbar being displayed at said at least one other computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein movement of the toolbar in the selected display region of said one computer results in movement of said toolbar being displayed at said at least one other computer.

8. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

dividing image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer into a plurality of tiles;

examining the image data in the tiles to determine the nature thereof;

compressing the image data in the tiles using a compression methodology selected based on the determined nature; and

transmitting the compressed image data to said at least one other computer for display.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein during said compressing, at least two compression methodologies are available to compress the image data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein one of said at least two compression methodologies is lossless and another of said at least two compression methodologies is lossy.

11. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer during a presentation;

transmitting the identified image data to said at least one other computer for display; and

providing feedback at at least one of said one and other computers concerning the position of the at least one other computer within the presentation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the feedback is visual and is provided at both of said one and other computers.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the feedback identifies when the at least one other computer falls behind in the presentation.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

forcing the at least one other computer is selectively forced to catch up in the presentation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one other computer is forced to catch up in the presentation if the at least one other computer falls behind by a pre-determined period of time in the presentation.

16. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer during a presentation;

transmitting the identified image data to said at least one other computer for display;

detecting other computers that fall behind in the presentation; and

forcing other computers that fell behind in the presentation to catch up.

17. In a distributed computer network, a method of inviting a user to participate in an interactive session, comprising:

sending a message with a URL to the user, said URL identifying the address of a conferencing application enabling participation in the interactive session;

receiving a request from the user for the conferencing application;

associating the request with the session; and

transmitting the conferencing application and data identifying the session to the user.

18. A method of providing version control in an application, comprising:

executing an original version of the application, the original version residing in a permanent location;

retrieving a desired version of an application and storing the desired version in a temporary location;

executing the desired version in the temporary location;

terminating the execution of the original version of the application;

copying the desired version over the original version at the permanent location with the executing desired version;

executing the desired version at the permanent location; and

terminating execution of the desired version at the temporary location.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

removing the desired version of the application at the temporary location.

20. A method of installing components dynamically on a computer, comprising:

determining with an application that a component containing functionality required by the application is not available on the computer;

retrieving the component containing the required functionality with the application; and

accessing the required functionality with the application.

21. In a conferencing system operating over a distributed computer network, a method of transmitting streaming video to a client from a plurality of streaming video sources, the client presenting a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames displaying streaming video from a separate streaming video source, the method comprising:

determining if a frame associated with streaming video has been hidden; and

terminating the transmission of streaming video associated with said hidden frame.

22. In a conferencing system operating over a distributed computer network, a method of transmitting streaming video to a client from a plurality of streaming video sources, the client presenting a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames displaying streaming video from a separate streaming video source, the method comprising:

transmitting streaming video to the client from each separate streaming video source at a frame rate at least partially dependent on the size of the frame in which each separate streaming video source is displayed.

23. In a conferencing application, a method of displaying streaming video from a plurality of streaming video sources, the method comprising:

presenting each of said plurality of streaming video sources in a plurality of frames, one of said frames being larger than the other of said frames;

detecting when a smaller frame has been selected; and

switching the position and size of said one frame and said selected smaller frame.

24. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

enabling a first participant to generate annotations on a shared region of a desktop of one computer; and

displaying the annotations on the shared region of the desktop on a second computer.

25. The method of displaying shared images of claim 24, further comprising:

enabling a second participant to generate annotations on the shared region of the desktop via the second computer; and

displaying the annotations on the shared region of the desktop on the first computer.

26. The method of displaying shared images of claim 25, wherein said annotations generated on the first computer are distinguishable from the annotations generated on the second computer.

27. The method of displaying shared images of claim 26, wherein said annotations generated on the first computer are displayed in a first color and the annotations generated on the second computer are displayed in a second color that is distinguishable from the first color.

28. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a first computer'"'"'s desktop with a second computer; and

modifying the display of said region at said second computer to identify displayed controls unavailable to the second computer.

29. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a first computer'"'"'s desktop with a second computer; and

modifying the display of said region at said second computer to identify displayed applications unavailable to the second computer.

30. The method of displaying a shared desktop of claim 29, further comprising:

presenting a list of applications on the first computer to permit the user to select which of said applications are to be hidden.

31. A desktop sharing application, comprising:

a shared display region;

said desktop sharing application being dynamically conditionable between a host mode, wherein said shared display region displays a shared region of the desktop of a computer upon which the desktop sharing application is executing, and a client mode, wherein said shared display region displays a shared region of the desktop of another computer executing the desktop sharing application conditioned in host mode with which said desktop sharing application is in communication.

32. In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a desktop on a first computer with a second computer;

receiving by the first computer a request from the second computer to share a region of the second computer'"'"'s desktop; and

sharing the region of the second computer'"'"'s desktop with the first computer.