Multi-party virtual desktop

• US 20090217177A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeGrazia, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for sharing data displayed on a user'"'"'s computer screen includes displaying a movable tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen, the tile being positionable on the computer screen to identify data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen and selected for sharing with one or more remote users. The method further includes transmitting the data identified by a position of the tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen to the remote users, receiving shared data from one of the remote users, and displaying the shared data on the user'"'"'s computer screen. The identified data includes only a portion of data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen and the shared data corresponds to data displayed on a portion of said remote user'"'"'s computer screen.

Claims

1. A method for sharing data displayed on a user'"'"'s computer screen, the method comprising:

displaying a movable tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen, the tile being positionable on the computer screen to identify data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen and selected for sharing with one or more remote users;

transmitting said data identified by a position of the tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen to said one or more remote users, wherein said identified data comprises only a portion of data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen;

receiving shared data from one of the remote users, said shared data corresponding to data displayed on a portion of the remote user'"'"'s computer screen; and

displaying said shared data on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving input identifying movement of the tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen to select new data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen, and transmitting said new data to said one or more remote users.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving new shared data from one of the remote users and updating said shared data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving user input in the form of movement of a cursor on the user'"'"'s computer screen within the tile and transmitting said user input to said one or more remote users.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying said shared data on the user'"'"'s computer screen comprises displaying said shared data within a designated workspace on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying said shared data on the user'"'"'s computer screen comprises displaying an identifier associated with the remote user sharing said shared data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving user input in the form of activity on the user'"'"'s computer screen in a location said shared data is displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen, and transmitting said user input to said one or more remote users.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the tile is positioned over a portion of an application window and wherein said data identified by the position of the tile comprises only data displayed within a border of the tile.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to receive data from a plurality of users, said data corresponding to data displayed on only a portion of a user'"'"'s computer screen and identified by a tile positioned on the computer screen, generate shared tiles from said data, and transmit said shared tiles to said plurality of users for display on the users'"'"' computer screens; and

memory for at least temporarily storing said received data and said shared tiles.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said processor is configured to transmit to one or more of said plurality of users, a list of one or more communication channels available to the user for sharing said data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said processor is configured to receive a request from one of said plurality of users to join one of said communication channels, wherein said received data and said shared tiles is transmitted on said communication channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said processor is further configured to receive user input in the form of activity on one of the user'"'"'s computer screen in a location said shared tile is displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen, and transmit said user input to said plurality of users.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said processor is configured to organize said shared tiles in a workspace and transmit said workspace to said plurality of users.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the tile is configured to expose said data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen and located within a border of the tile when the tile is placed over said data.

15. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

display a movable tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen, the tile being positionable on the computer screen to identify data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen and selected for sharing with one or more remote users;

transmit said data identified by a position of the tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen to said one or more remote users, wherein said identified data comprises only a portion of data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen; and

display shared data received from one of the remote users on the user'"'"'s computer screen, said shared data corresponding to data displayed on the remote user'"'"'s computer screen.

16. The logic of claim 15 further operable to receive input identifying movement of the tile on the user'"'"'s computer screen to select new data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen, and transmit said new data to said one or more remote users.

17. The logic of claim 15 further operable to receive new shared data from one of the remote users and update said shared data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

18. The logic of claim 15 wherein the logic operable to display said shared data on the user'"'"'s computer screen is further operable to display said shared data within a designated workspace on the user'"'"'s computer screen.

19. The logic of claim 15 further operable to receive user input in the form of activity on the user'"'"'s computer screen in a location said shared data is displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen, and transmit said user input to said one or more remote users.

20. The logic of claim 15 wherein the tile is positioned over a portion of an application window and wherein said data identified by the position of the tile comprises only data displayed within a border of the tile.