Method and system for sharing objects between local and remote terminals

• US 5,933,597 A
• Filed: 04/04/1996
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vtel Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/627,365
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.34, 395/200.47, 395/200.35, 395/200.31, 395/200.43, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 711/147, 711/150, 711/152, 711/159, 707/10, 707/101, 707/103, 707/104, 707/511, 707/512, 707/515, 707/521
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

An object sharing application provides a method and system for sharing an object (20)in a teleconference communications environment (10). The invention includes the steps and instructions for establishing a teleconferencing session between a source terminal (12) and a destination terminal (14). Then, the invention identifies object (20) having at least one link (36)to a source terminal application program (120, 122, 124) associated with the source terminal (12)occurs. The steps and instructions also include sharing the object between the source terminal (12) and the destination terminal (14)during the teleconferencing session without sharing the source terminal application program (120, 122, 124) from source terminal (12). As a result, the destination terminal (14) may associate the object (20) with at least one destination terminal application program (120, 122, 124) the at least one destination terminal application program (120, 122, 124) being separate from the source terminal application program (120, 122, 124).

Claims

1. A method of sharing an object in a teleconferencing communications environment, comprising the steps of:

establishing a teleconference session between a source terminal having a source terminal application program and a destination terminal having at least one destination terminal application program;

identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program;

sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without transferring said source terminal application program from said source terminal by streaming data from the source terminal to the destination terminal to create said object at the destination terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said object with at least one destination terminal application program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying step further comprises the step of identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program, said source terminal application program comprising a graphical presentation application program associated with said source terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying step further comprises the step of identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program, said source terminal application program comprising a word processing application program associated with said source terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sharing step further comprises the step of sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said source terminal application program with the destination terminal, said destination terminal application program comprising an application program distinct from said source terminal application program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sharing step further comprises the step of dragging and dropping an object directly from said source terminal application program into a window for sharing said object during a teleconferencing call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying step further comprises the step of identifying a plurality of objects each comprising a plurality of attributes, said plurality of objects having a plurality of links to a plurality of source terminal application programs associate with said source terminal, and further wherein such sharing step comprises the step of sharing said plurality of objects between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said plurality of source terminal application programs from said source terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said plurality of objects with a plurality of destination terminal application programs, said plurality of destination terminal application programs being separate from said plurality of source terminal application programs.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of making available to a user said object for editing said object at said destination terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of positioning said object in association with said destination terminal application program in a whiteboard so that a user may specifically direct attention to particular portions of said object at said destination terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of saving said objects automatically at said destination terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session while sharing said source terminal application program from said source terminal without transferring said source terminal application program from said source terminal to said destination terminal.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session while sharing said source terminal application program from said source terminal without transferring said source terminal application program from said source terminal to said destination terminal.

11. A teleconferencing communications system for teleconferencing between a source terminal having a source terminal application program and a destination terminal having a destination terminal application program, comprising:

teleconferencing instructions for establishing a teleconference session between the source terminal and the destination terminal;

object identifying instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program;

object sharing instructions for sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said source terminal application program from said source terminal by streaming data from the source terminal to the destination terminal to create said object at the destination terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said object with at least one destination terminal application program.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program, said source terminal application program comprising a graphical presentation application program, said source terminal application program associated with said source terminal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to the source terminal application program, said source terminal application program comprising a word processing application program, said source terminal application program associated with said source terminal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said object sharing instructions further comprise instructions for sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said source terminal application program, said source terminal application program comprising a first type of application program, said object sharing instructions further comprising instructions for said destination terminal to associate said object with the destination terminal application program, said destination terminal application program comprising a second type of application program distinct from said first type of application program, said at least one destination terminal application program being separate from said source terminal application program.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said object sharing instructions further comprise instructions for dragging and dropping an object directly from said source terminal application program into a window for sharing said object during a teleconferencing call.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying a plurality of objects each comprising a plurality of attributes, said plurality of objects having a plurality of links to a plurality of source terminal application programs associated with said source terminal, and further wherein such sharing step comprises instructions for sharing said plurality of objects between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said plurality of source terminal application programs from said source terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said plurality of objects with a plurality of destination terminal application programs, said plurality of destination terminal application programs being separate from said plurality of source terminal application programs.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for making available to a user said object for editing said object at said destination terminal.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for positioning said object in association with said destination terminal application program in a whiteboard so that a user may specifically direct attention to particular portions of said object at said destination terminal.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of saving said objects automatically at said destination terminal.

21. A teleconferencing system for conducting a teleconference, comprising:

at least one source terminal for originating a teleconference;

at least one destination terminal for receiving data from said at least one source terminal in supporting said teleconference;

a telecommunications medium for permitting communications between said at least one source terminal and said at least one destination terminal; and

an object sharing application associated with said at least one source terminal and said destination terminal for sharing an object between said at least one source terminal and said at least one destination terminal, said object sharing application comprising;

teleconferencing instructions for establishing a teleconference session between said at least one source terminal and said at least one destination terminal;

object identifying instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to said at least one source terminal application program associated with said at least one source terminal;

object sharing instructions for sharing said object between said at least one source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said at least one source terminal application program from said at least one source terminal by streaming data from the source terminal to the destination terminal to create said object at the destination terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said object with at least one destination terminal application program, said at least one destination terminal application program being separate from said at least one source terminal application program.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to said at least one source terminal application program, said at least one source terminal application program comprising a graphical presentation application program, said at least one source terminal application program associated with said at least one source terminal.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying an object comprising a plurality of attributes, said object having at least one link to at least one source terminal application program, said at least one source terminal application program comprising a word processing application program, said at least one source terminal application program associated with said at least one source terminal.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said object sharing instructions further instructions for sharing said object between said at least one source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said at least one source terminal application program, said at least one source terminal application program comprising a first type of application program, said object sharing instructions further comprising instructions for said destination terminal to associate said object with at least one destination terminal application program, said destination terminal application program comprising a second type of application program distinct from said first type of application program, said at least one destination terminal application program being separate from said at least one source terminal application program.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said object sharing instructions further comprise instructions for dragging and dropping an object directly from said at least one source terminal application program into a window for sharing said object during a teleconferencing call.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein said identifying instructions further comprise instructions for identifying a plurality of objects each comprising a plurality of attributes, said plurality of objects having a plurality of links to a plurality of source terminal applications programs associates with said source terminal, and further wherein such sharing step comprises instructions for sharing said plurality of objects between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session without sharing said plurality of source terminal application programs from said source terminal, so that said destination terminal may associate said plurality of objects with a plurality of destination terminal application programs, said plurality of destination terminal application programs being separate from said plurality of source terminal application programs.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising instructions for making available to a user said object of said destination terminal for editing said object at said destination terminal.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising instructions for positioning said object in association with said destination terminal application programs in a whiteboard so that a user may specifically direct attention to particular portions of said object at said destination terminal.

29. The system of claim 21, further comprising the step of saving said objects automatically at said destination terminal.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising the step of sharing said object between said source terminal and said destination terminal during said teleconferencing session while sharing said source terminal application program from said source terminal without transferring said source terminal application program from said source terminal to said destination terminal.