Computer conferencing system for selectively linking and unlinking private page with public page by selectively activating linked mode and non-linked mode for each participant

• US 5,581,702 A
• Filed: 12/20/1993
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rothrock, Lewis V., Porter, Dan, Thessin, Tyler R., McArdle, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEKY, MOUSTAFA M
• Application Number:
  US08/170,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/153, 395/158, 395/162, 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 395/200.04, 395/200.09, 370/62, 379/202
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and method for lining public and private pages in a conferencing system is disclosed. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprises the steps of: 1) collecting public meeting information generated by any of the plurality of participants, the public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations; 2) collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which the meeting manager is resident, the private meeting information being different from the public meeting information, the private meeting information not accessible to the plurality of conference participants other than the local participant, the private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations; and 3) selectively linking the private page with the public page, the private page being implicitly accessed when the linked public page is explicitly accessed. The process further includes the steps of: 1) maintaining a public page list representing a plurality of public pages, the step of maintaining a public page list further including a step of linking the plurality of public pages together in the public page list; 2) maintaining a private page list representing a plurality of private pages, the step of maintaining a private page list further including a step of linking the plurality of private pages together in the private page list; and 3) linking pages of said public page list with pages of said private page list.

Claims

1. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, each participant of said plurality of participants having a meeting manager, said meeting manager comprising:

means for collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

means for collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which said meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

means for selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed; and

means for selectively activating a linked mode or a non-linked mode, said means for selectively linking only linking said private page with said public page when said linked mode is active, said private page being unlinked with said public page when said non-linked mode is active.

2. The meeting manager as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for selectively linking further includes means for linking said private page with said public page upon a transition from a non-linked mode to a linked mode.

3. The meeting manager as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for selectively linking further includes means for unlinking said private page from said public page upon a transition from a linked mode to a non-linked mode.

4. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, each participant of said plurality of participants having a meeting manager, said meeting manager comprising:

means for collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

means for collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which said meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

means for selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed; and

means for creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with said private page, said virtual page not containing annotations.

5. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, each participant of said plurality of participants having a meeting manager, said meeting manager comprising:

means for collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

means for collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which said meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

means for selectively linking said private page with said page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;

means for maintaining a private page list representing a plurality of private pages, said means for maintaining a private page list further including means for linking said plurality of private pages together in said private page list;

means for creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with any of said plurality of private pages of said private page list, said virtual page not containing annotations; and

means for linking said virtual page with said private page list when an annotation is added to said virtual page.

6. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed; and

selectively activating a linked mode or a non-linked mode, said step of selectively linking only being performed when said linked mode is active, said private page being unlinked with said public page when said non-linked mode is active.

7. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein said step of selectively linking further includes a step of linking said private page with said public page upon a transition from a non-linked mode to a linked mode.

8. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein said step of selectively linking further includes a step of unlinking said private page from said public page upon a transition from a linked mode to a non-linked mode.

9. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed; and

creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with said private page, said virtual page not containing annotations.

10. In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;

collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;

selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;

maintaining a private page list representing a plurality of private pages, said step of maintaining a private page list further including a step of linking said plurality of private pages together in said private page list;

creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with any of said plurality of private pages of said private page list, said virtual page not containing annotations; and

linking said virtual page with said private page list when an annotation is added to said virtual page.