Group working system having operator discriminating function
First Claim
1. A group working system including a plurality of terminal apparatuses interconnected through a communication network, each of said terminal apparatuses having a multi-window function for generating a plurality of windows on a display screen and executing application programs on window-by-window basis, comprising:
- input means for designating one of said plural windows generated on said display screen and inputting information of data or command for said designated window;
storage means for storing for each of said plural windows generated on a display screen state information indicating whether each of said plural windows is in a state of group working mode in which data processing for a group work is executed in cooperation with the other terminal apparatuses or in a state of local mode in which data processing for a local work is executed independent of other terminal apparatuses;
control means responsive to inputting of information for one window in said group working mode for transferring said input information to an application program running within said one window and generating a message having a predetermined format and including said input information, which message is sent to at least one of the other terminal apparatuses, while upon reception of a message containing input information for said group work from other terminal apparatuses, said input information contained in said received message is delivered to an application program running within one of said plural windows specified by header information of said received message;
each of said messages containing at least a first identifier indicating a source node issued said message and a second identifier for specifying an application program which is to execute data processing conforming to the input information contained in said message or corresponding window within which said application program is to run; and
interface means for receiving the first identifier indicating the source node issued the message, said first identifier being contained in said message received from the other terminal apparatus, and outputting identification indication for indicating a terminal apparatus or user who is performing input operation to the window of said group working mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A group working system includes a plurality of work stations interconnected through a network and each having a multi-window function. Each work station is provided with a group working user interface program executed under the control of a control program for transferring control information for a group work with the other work stations. When input operation is performed for a window of a group working mode in any one of the work stations, indication information for identifying an operator or work station performing the input operation is output to an additional window which is paired with the above-mentioned window. By making reference to the indication information, each user can avoid conflict in the input operation to the same window of the group working mode with other users.
93 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A group working system including a plurality of terminal apparatuses interconnected through a communication network, each of said terminal apparatuses having a multi-window function for generating a plurality of windows on a display screen and executing application programs on window-by-window basis, comprising:
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input means for designating one of said plural windows generated on said display screen and inputting information of data or command for said designated window; storage means for storing for each of said plural windows generated on a display screen state information indicating whether each of said plural windows is in a state of group working mode in which data processing for a group work is executed in cooperation with the other terminal apparatuses or in a state of local mode in which data processing for a local work is executed independent of other terminal apparatuses; control means responsive to inputting of information for one window in said group working mode for transferring said input information to an application program running within said one window and generating a message having a predetermined format and including said input information, which message is sent to at least one of the other terminal apparatuses, while upon reception of a message containing input information for said group work from other terminal apparatuses, said input information contained in said received message is delivered to an application program running within one of said plural windows specified by header information of said received message; each of said messages containing at least a first identifier indicating a source node issued said message and a second identifier for specifying an application program which is to execute data processing conforming to the input information contained in said message or corresponding window within which said application program is to run; and interface means for receiving the first identifier indicating the source node issued the message, said first identifier being contained in said message received from the other terminal apparatus, and outputting identification indication for indicating a terminal apparatus or user who is performing input operation to the window of said group working mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A group working system including a plurality of terminal apparatuses interconnected through a communication network, each of said terminal apparatuses having a multi-window function for generating a plurality of windows on a display screen and executing programs on window-by-window basis, comprising:
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input means for designating one of said plural windows generated on said display screen and inputting information of data or command for said designated window; storage means for storing for each of said plural windows generated on a display screen state information indicating whether each of said plural windows is in a state of group working mode in which data processing for a group work is executed in cooperation with the other terminal apparatuses or in a state of local mode in which data processing for a local work is executed independent of other terminal apparatuses; control means responsive to inputting of information for one window for executing data processing corresponding to said input information by a program which corresponds to said one window, making reference to said storage means to make decision whether one of said plural windows to which said information in inputted is in the state of group working mode and, if so, transmitting a message of predetermined format containing said input information to at least one of the other terminal apparatuses participating in the group work via said communication network, and responding to reception of a message containing input information for the group work from other terminal apparatuses for thereby executing a data processing corresponding to the input information contained in the message by a program specified by header information of said received message; each of said messages containing at least a first identifier indicating a source terminal apparatus issued said message and a second identifier for specifying an application program which is to execute data processing conforming to the input information contained in said message or corresponding window within which said application program is to run; and interface means for receiving from said control means the first identifier indicating the source terminal apparatus issued the message when information input operation is performed for the window of the group working mode in any one of said terminal apparatuses, said first identifier being contained in said message transferred between the terminal apparatuses, and for outputting identification indication for indicating the terminal apparatus or a user who is performing input operation to the window of the group working mode, said identification indication being generated on the basis of said first identifier. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. Display control method performed in a terminal apparatus composing a group working system, said terminal apparatus being interconnected with at least one other terminal apparatus through a communication network and having a multiwindow function for generating a plurality of windows on a display screen and executing application programs on a window-by-window basis, said control method comprising the steps of:
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storing for each of said plural windows generated on the display screen state information indicating whether each of said plural windows is in a state of group working mode in which data processing for a group work is executed in cooperation with the other terminal apparatus or in a state of local mode in which data processing for a local work is executed independent of other terminal apparatus; inputting information of data or command for one window in the group working mode through an input device; transferring in response to the inputting of information for one window in the group working mode, said input information to an application program running within said one window to execute a data processing conforming to the input information; sending a first message having a predetermined format including header information and said input information to said the other terminal apparatus, said header information containing at least a first identifier indicating a source node apparatus issued said message and a second identifier for specifying an application program which is to execute data processing conforming to the input information contained in said message or corresponding window within which said application program is to run; receiving a second message containing input information of data or command for the group work from said other terminal apparatus and executing a data processing conforming to the input information when the information was input through an input device of said the other terminal apparatus, said second message having the same format as said first message; outputting to said display screen an identification indication for indicating the terminal apparatus or an user who is performing input operation to the window of said group working mode depending on the first identifier being contained in said first or second message. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification