Window sharing system

• US 5,838,300 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Bannai, Yuichi, Takagi, Tsuneyoshi, Kawazome, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/663,361
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 345/2, 345/1, 345/3, 345/115, 345/118, 345/121, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 345/340, 345/145, 345/146, 345/157, 345/162
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 3/1454 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: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A window sharing system of a server client method in which a client application communicates with a plurality of servers by distributing a message and an operation is executed by switching an operation right for the client application. The system includes a window ID obtainer for obtaining a window ID of a common window formed by the client application and storing the window ID into a first memory; an operation right information obtainer for obtaining information of the operation right for the client application and storing the information into a second memory; an operation pointer display controller for displaying an operation pointer to operate the client application to the common window on the basis of the window ID stored in the first memory; an operation right information display controller for adding the operation right information stored in the second memory to the operation pointer and displaying the information; and an operation right information switching unit for storing information regarding the user who performed a click operation by a mouse-cursor on the operation pointer into the second memory and switching the operation right.

Claims

1. A window sharing system of a server client method in which a client application communicates with a plurality of servers by distributing a message and an operation is executed by switching an operation right for said client application, said system comprising:

window ID obtaining means for obtaining a window ID of a common window formed by said client application and storing said window ID into first memory means;

operation right information obtaining means for obtaining information regarding said operation right for said client application and for storing said information into second memory means;

operation pointer display control means for displaying an operation pointer to operate the client application to said common window on the basis of the window ID stored in said first memory means;

operation right information display control means for adding the operation right information stored in said second memory means to said operation pointer and displaying the information; and

operation right information switching means for storing information regarding the user who performed a click operation by a mouse-cursor on said operation pointer into said second memory means and for switching the operation right.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises converting means for converting a bit map of the mouse-cursor of said common window to a bit map of said operation pointer when a host as a target is a host having the operation right.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises converting means for converting the bit map of the mouse-cursor of said common window to the bit map of the mouse-cursor of the original common window when the mouse-cursor of said common window has already become a bit map of said operation pointer in a host as a target.

4. A display control apparatus comprising:

window display means for displaying a same window to a plurality of displays;

judging means for judging which one of the input devices corresponding to the plurality of displays has an access right to the window and for producing a judgment result, wherein cursors corresponding to respective input devices are displayed on the plurality of displays; and

control means for changing a display condition of the cursor for one of the input devices which has the access right so as to display the access right on the basis of the judgment result of said judging means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a status of each input device is displayed by the windows displayed on said plurality of displays.

6. A display control method comprising the steps of:

displaying the same window to a plurality of displays;

judging which one of input devices corresponding to the plurality of displays has an access right to the window, and producing a judgment result;

displaying cursors corresponding to respective input devices on the plurality of displays; and

changing a display condition of the cursor for one of the input devices which has the access right so as to display the access right on the basis of the judgment result of said judging step.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising displaying a status of each input device by the windows displayed on the plurality of displays.

8. A system comprising a first apparatus having a first display device and a first input device and a second apparatus having a second display device and a second input device, the first and second apparatuses being connected to each other through a communication line, said system comprising:

window display means for displaying a common window on the first and second display devices;

first cursor display means for displaying a first cursor on the first display device, the first cursor being moved by the first input device;

second cursor display means for displaying a second cursor on the second display device, the second cursor being moved by the second input device;

display control means for displaying a third cursor on the second display device at a position corresponding to a position on the first display device at which the first cursor is currently displayed; and

display changing means for changing a display condition of one of the second and third cursors depending on which one of the first and second apparatuses has an access right to the window.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the display condition of the third cursor is made different on the basis of an operation condition of the first apparatus.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the third cursor is displayed when the first cursor is positioned within the window.

11. A system according to claims 8, wherein a name of the first apparatus or a name of a user of the first apparatus is displayed on the second display device in correspondence to the third cursor.

12. A display control apparatus comprising:

window display means for displaying on a display device a window commonly used by a plurality of apparatuses;

input means for moving a cursor displayed on the display device;

cursor display means for displaying on the display device a cursor of another apparatus in response to information received from the other apparatus;

memory means for storing information regarding an access right to the window; and

control means for changing a display condition of one of the cursor and the cursor of the other apparatus on the basis of the information stored in said memory means so as to display the access right.

13. An apparatus according to claims 12, wherein the cursor of the other apparatus is displayed on the display device when the cursor is positioned within the window.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the display condition of the cursor of the other apparatus is changed on the basis of an operation condition of the other apparatus.

15. A window sharing method for a server client method in which a client application communicates with a plurality of servers by distributing a message and an operation is executed by switching an operation right for the client application, said method comprising:

obtaining a window ID of a common window formed by the client application and storing the window ID into a first memory;

obtaining information of the operation right for the client application and storing the information into a second memory;

displaying an operation pointer to operate the client application to the common window on the basis of the window ID stored in the first memory;

adding the operation right information stored in the second memory to the operation pointer and displaying the information; and

storing information regarding the user who performed a click operation by a mouse-cursor on the operation pointer into the second memory and switching the operation right.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising converting a bit map of the mouse-cursor of the common window to a bit map of the operation pointer when a host as a target is a host having the operation right.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising converting the bit map of the mouse-cursor of the common window to the bit map of the mouse-cursor of the original common window when the mouse-cursor of the common window has already become a bit map of the operation pointer in a host as a target.

18. A computer readable medium storing a program for performing the steps of:

displaying the same window to a plurality of displays;

judging which one of input devices corresponding to the plurality of displays has an access right to the window and producing a judgment result;

displaying cursors corresponding to respective input devices on the plurality of displays; and

changing a display condition of the cursor for one of the input devices which has the access right so as to display the access right on the basis of the judgment result of said judging step.

19. A memory medium according to claim 18, wherein a status of each input device is displayed by the windows displayed on the plurality of displays.

20. A computer-readable memory medium for use with a first apparatus having a first display device and a first input device and a second apparatus having a second display device and a second input device, the first and second apparatuses being connected to each other through a communication line, and for storing a program for performing the steps of:

displaying a common window on the first and second display devices;

displaying a first cursor on the first display device, the first cursor being moved by the first input device;

displaying a second cursor on the second display device, the second cursor being moved by the second input device;

displaying a third cursor on the second display device at a position corresponding to a position on the first display device at which the first cursor is currently displayed; and

changing a display condition of one of the second and third cursors depending on which one of the first and second apparatuses has an access right to the window.

21. A memory medium according to claim 20, wherein the display condition of the third cursor is changed on the basis of an operation condition of the first apparatus.

22. A memory medium according to claim 20, wherein the third cursor is displayed when the first cursor is positioned within the window.

23. A memory medium according to claim 20, wherein a name of the first apparatus or a name of a user of the first apparatus is displayed on the second display device in correspondence to the third cursor.

24. A computer-readable memory medium for storing a program for performing the steps of:

displaying on a display device a window commonly used by a plurality of apparatuses;

moving a cursor displayed on the display device;

displaying on the display device a cursor of another apparatus in response to information received from the other apparatus;

storing information regarding an access right to the window; and

changing a display condition of one of the cursor and the cursor of the other apparatus on the basis of the stored information so as to display the access right.

25. A memory medium according to claims 24, wherein the cursor of the other apparatus is displayed on the display device when the cursor is positioned within the window.

26. A memory medium according to claim 24, wherein the display condition of the cursor of the other apparatus is changed on the basis of an operation condition of the other apparatus.