TERMINAL APPARATUS, SERVER APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20110078573A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooba, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 9,811,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control

Abstract

Provided is a terminal apparatus including a display unit displaying an execution screen of a shared application, reflecting on a display operations performed by multiple users as operations performed on one application, where the shared application includes a function for displaying an identification object that associates each of the users with an operation result, displayed on the execution screen, reflecting the operation performed by each of the users, a function for setting, when a first user selects an identification object related to a second user and specifies a region on the screen, the specified region as a shared region that is shared by the first and second users, and a function for controlling, when the first or second user performs operation in the shared region, such that the displayed operation result reflecting the operation is not shown to users other than the first and second users.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus comprising a shared application display unit for displaying on a screen an execution screen of a shared application, reflecting on a display operations performed by a plurality of users via a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to a network as operations performed on one application,

wherein the shared application includes

an identification object display function for displaying an identification object that associates each of the users with an operation result, displayed on the execution screen, reflecting the operation performed by each of the users,

a shared region setting function for setting, when a first user selects an identification object related to a second user and specifies a region on the screen, the specified region as a shared region that is shared by the first and second users, and

a display control function for controlling, when the first or second user performs operation in the shared region set by the shared region setting function, such that the displayed operation result reflecting the operation is not shown to users other than the first and second users.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the first user selects the identification object related to the second user and specifies a first region on the screen, and the first user selects an identification object related to a third user and specifies a second region on the screen, and the shared region setting function sets a first shared region that is shared by the first and second users and a second shared region that is shared by the first and third users, and the first user enlarges or moves the first shared region so that the first and second shared regions overlap with each other,

the shared region setting function sets the overlapping portion of the first and second shared regions as a shared region that is shared by the first user, the second user, and the third user.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the identification object display function displays a line connecting between the operation result and the identification object and visualizes by the line correspondence relationship between the operation result and each of the users.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the shared application is an application for sharing content, and

wherein, when the content is put in a shared state by the second user, the display control function displays a display object representing the content in the shared state at a display position of the identification object related to the second user, and moves the display object from the display position as a starting point.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when a size of the shared region is smaller than a size of the display object representing the content in the shared state, the display control function periodically moves or deforms the identification object related to the second user, or periodically changes a color of the identification object.

6. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the identification object is displayed in a predetermined region located on the screen in a direction that is set for each of the users.

7. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shared application execution unit for executing the shared application,

wherein the shared application display unit displays an execution result by the shared application execution unit on the screen.

8. A server apparatus comprising an information providing unit for providing information for displaying an execution screen of a shared application to a plurality of terminal apparatuses, the shared application reflecting on a display operations performed by a plurality of users via the plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to a network as operations performed on one application,

wherein the shared application includes

an identification object display function for displaying an identification object that associates each of the users with an operation result, displayed on the execution screen, reflecting the operation performed by each of the users,

a shared region setting function for setting, when a first user selects an identification object related to a second user and specifies a region on the screen, the specified region as a shared region that is shared by the first and second users, and

a display control function for controlling, when the first or second user performs operation in the shared region set by the shared region setting function, such that the displayed operation result reflecting the operation is not shown to users other than the first and second users.

9. A display control method by setting sharing, comprising the steps of:

setting, in a state where an execution screen of a shared application is displayed on a screen, the shared application reflecting on a display operations performed by a plurality of users via a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to a network as operations performed on one application, and an identification object is displayed that associates each of the users with an operation result, displayed on the execution screen, reflecting the operations performed by each of the users, and when a first user selects an identification object related to a second user and specifies a region on the screen, the specified region as a shared region that is shared by the first and second users; and

controlling, when the first or second user performs operation in the shared region set at the shared region setting step, such that the displayed operation result reflecting the operation is not shown to users other than the first and second users.

10. A program for causing a computer to realize:

a function for reflecting on a display operations performed by a plurality of users via a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected to a network as operations performed on one application;

an identification object display function for displaying an identification object that associates each of the users with an operation result, displayed on the execution screen, reflecting the operation performed by each of the users;

a shared region setting function for setting, when a first user selects an identification object related to a second user and specifies a region on the screen, the specified region as a shared region that is shared by the first and second users; and

a display control function for controlling, when the first or second user performs operation in the shared region set by the shared region setting function, such that the displayed operation result reflecting the operation is not shown to users other than the first and second users.