SHARED DIGITAL WHITEBOARD

• US 20140040767A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bolia, Priyank
• Application Number:
  US13/565,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• 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: 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: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention provides a peer-to-peer communication between source and target boards of a shared digital whiteboard. In one embodiment, a first system executing a first browser displaying a first web page containing a source board of the shared electronic whiteboard sends multiple packets (over a network) to a second system executing a second browser displaying a second web page containing a peer/target board of the shared electronic board, with each sent packet having a network destination address set to an IP address of the second system, the multiple packets specifying a content of the source board. The second system receives the multiple packets and reproduces the content in the target board.

Claims

1. A computing system providing a shared electronic whiteboard, said computing system comprising:

a first system executing a first browser, said first browser displaying a first web page containing a source board of said shared electronic whiteboard; and

a second system executing a second browser and coupled to said first system by a network, said second browser displaying a second web page containing a peer board of said shared electronic board,

wherein said first system sends a plurality of packets to said second system, wherein each packet has a network destination address set to an IP address of said second system, said plurality of packets specifying a content of said source board,

said second system to receive said plurality of packets and to reproduce said content in said peer board.

2. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising a server system to serve said first web page to said first system, and said second web page to said second system, wherein said server system incorporates another IP address of said first system in said second web page,

wherein said second system establishes a communication channel with said first system using said another IP address, wherein said IP address of said second system is provided to said first system after said communication channel is established,

wherein said first system sends said plurality of packets over said communication channel.

3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises a drawing on said source board, said drawing being represented by a plurality of coordinates in the form of corresponding data elements,

wherein said first system performs a compression of only said data elements to form a compressed data, said compressed data being sent in said plurality of packets.

4. The computing system of claim 3, wherein said data elements are received from said first browser before being compressed.

5. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises a drawing on said source board at a time instance, said drawing being represented by a plurality of coordinates in the form of corresponding data elements,

wherein said first system generates a recording of said content comprising said data elements associated with said time instance.

6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein said content further comprises a second drawing on said source board at a second time instance, said second drawing being represented by a second plurality of coordinates in the form of corresponding second set of data elements,

wherein said recording of said content further comprises said second set of data elements associated with said second time instance and a delay command indicating a duration between said first time instance and said second time instance.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein said first system sends packets specifying said recording to said second system,

wherein said second system upon receiving packets corresponding to said recording, first reproduces said drawing using said data elements, waits for said duration indicated by said delay command, and then reproduces said second drawing using said second set of elements,

whereby said second system reproduces on said peer board, the actions performed by a user on said source board.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein said first system further stores said recording according to a text format.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein said recording also comprises an audio generated at said time instance.

10. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises a drawing on said source board, said drawing being represented by a plurality of coordinates in the form of corresponding data elements,

wherein said first system performs a character recognition of said drawing to identify a set of characters, said set of characters being sent in said plurality of packets.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said first system sends said plurality of coordinates also along with said set of characters in said plurality of packets.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of coordinates are sent in compressed form of said corresponding data elements.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said character recognition identifies that a first portion of said drawing represents a first character,

wherein said first system displays said first character associated with said first portion in said source board,

wherein said first system replaces said first portion with an image representing said first character if no cancel action is received in a pre-determined duration.

14. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises a pre-defined shape displayed on said source board,

wherein said first system sends in said plurality of packets an identifier specifying said pre-defined shape and attributes of said pre-defined shape, such that said second system can reproduce said pre-defined shape in said peer board.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein said pre-defined shape and attributes of said pre-defined shape are specified as user inputs,

wherein said first system forms and sends said identifier and said attributes in response to said user inputs.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said pre-defined shape is one of a geometrical shape, a text and an image, wherein attributes of said geometrical shape comprises one or more dimensions of said geometrical shape, wherein attributes of said text comprises a font style, a font size, a text color, and a background color of said text, wherein attributes of said image comprises a location, a height, a width of said image.

17. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises a clip specified as user inputs, wherein said clip is in the form of an audio, video or a combination thereof,

wherein said first system sends in said plurality of packets an identifier specifying a type of said clip and attributes of said clip, such that said second system can reproduce said clip in said peer board.

18. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said content comprises multiple sub-contents in the form of a set of pages, wherein said source board and said peer board are designed to display only one of said set of pages, wherein said source board and said peer board are displaying a current page,

wherein said second system maintains the sub-content in each of said set of pages in a local storage,

wherein in response to said first system indicating that a previous page is to be displayed, said second systems retrieves a sub-content corresponding to said previous page from said local storage and provides said sub-content on said peer board,

wherein said second system reproduces said previous page without receiving packets corresponding to said sub-content from said first system.

19. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said first system receives an user input indicating that an action is to be performed on said source board,

wherein said first system sends in said plurality of packets an identifier specifying said action, such that said second system can reproduce said action in said peer board.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein said action comprises one of clearing said content displayed on said source board, undoing or redoing a previous action performed on said source board and recording a delay between user inputs provided on said source board.

21. A method of providing a shared electronic whiteboard, said method being performed in a first system, said method comprising:

providing, by a first browser executing in a first system, a source board of said shared electronic whiteboard; and

sending to a second system, a plurality of packets specifying a content of said source board, wherein each packet has a network destination address set to an IP address of said second system, said second system coupled to the first system over a network and said plurality of packets being sent on said network to said second system,

wherein said second system reproduces said content on a peer board of said shared electronic board in response to receiving said plurality of packets, said peer board being provided by a second browser executing in said second system.

22. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a first system to provide a peer board of a shared electronic whiteboard, wherein a source board of said shared electronic whiteboard is provided by a second browser executing in a second system, said one of more sequences of instructions comprising:

a first set of instructions, which when executed in said first system provides a first browser which displays a web page, and provides said peer board as a part of said web page; and

a second set of instructions, which when executed in the context of said first browser, performs the actions of;

obtaining an IP (Internet Protocol) address of said second system;

establishing, using said IP address, a communication channel with said second browser executing in said second system;

receiving a plurality of packets specifying a content of said source board; and

reproducing, in response to receiving said plurality of packets, said content in said target board.