Computer software for converting a general purpose computer network into an interactive communications system

• US 6,351,777 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navy The United Stated of America As Represented By The Secretary of The
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Simonoff, Adam J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/296,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Machine readable code stored in a memory converts a general purpose computer system into a dedicated White Board system facilitating collaboration between a plurality of users. Preferably, execution of the machine readable code generates a predetermined object placement tool for generating predetermined objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on a White Board screen, a text placement tool for generating text objects which are displayable at user-selected locations of the White Board screen, a hyperlink connection tool for generating active hyperlink objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on the White Board screen, a track object tool for placing active track objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on the White Board screen, a freehand drawing tool for generating freehand drawing objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on the White Board screen, a transmission device for transmitting all generated ones of the predetermined, the active hyperlink, the text, the active track, and the freehand drawing objects to each of the users, an accumulating device for accumulating the predetermined, the active hyperlink, the text, the active track, and the freehand drawing objects, and a filter device permitting selective transmission of the predetermined, the active hyperlink, the text, the active track, and the freehand drawing objects to users.

Claims

1. Machine readable code stored in memory for converting a general purpose computer system into a dedicated White Board system facilitating collaboration between a plurality of users, said machine readable code generating:

a predetermined object placement tool for generating predetermined objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on a White Board screen;

a text placement tool for generating text objects which are displayable at user-selected locations of said White Board screen;

a hyperlink connection tool for generating active hyperlink objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on said White Board screen;

a track object tool for placing active track objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on said White Board screen;

a freehand drawing tool for generating freehand drawing objects which are displayable at user-selected locations on said White Board screen;

a transmission device for transmitting all generated ones of said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects to each of the users;

an accumulating device for accumulating said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects; and

a filter device permitting selective transmission of said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects to users.

2. The machine readable code as recited in claim 1, wherein said filter device selectively transmits said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects to users having at least a predetermined privilege level.

3. The machine readable code as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects has an associated privilege level and wherein said filter device selectively transmits said predetermined, said active hyperlink, said text, said active track, and said freehand drawing objects to users having at least said privilege level.

4. Machine readable code stored in memory for converting a general purpose computer system into a dedicated White Board system facilitating collaboration between a plurality of users, said machine readable code generating:

a first White Board client which instantiates first objects having an associated first indicia;

a second White Board client which instantiates second objects having an associated second indicia;

a web server which transmits portions of said machine readable code generating said first and said second White Board clients; and

a White Board server which operatively couples said first and said second White Board clients to one another, which stores all of said first and said second objects, and which selectively relays said first and said second objects between said second and said first White Board clients, respectively, responsive to said first and second indicia.

5. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said first and second indicia correspond to first and second privilege level, respectively.

6. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said machine readable code further comprises code generating a predetermined object server which receives said predetermined object from an object source excluding any of said White Board clients, and which transmits said predetermined object to all of said White Board clients.

7. The machine readable code as recited in claim 6, wherein said predetermined object comprises an object sequence which varies over time.

8. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein one of said first and said second objects comprises an active hyperlink, and wherein selection of said active hyperlink causes said first and said second White Board clients to jump to the uniform resource locator (URL) associated with said active hyperlink.

9. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said machine readable code includes code for recreating a White Board session from the stored objects.

10. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said first object comprises a text object which can be modified by said first White Board client and which can be viewed but not modified by said second White Board client.

11. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said White Board server generates a command to shut down at least one of said first and said second White Board clients responsive to an applied control signal.

12. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein a listing of object types which can be instantiated by said first and said second White Board clients is provided by said web server.

13. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said machine readable code generates a first White Board client having a plurality of layers on which said first objects and relayed second objects can be placed at the discretion of a user.

14. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said machine readable code generates a first White Board client having a plurality of layers on which said first objects and relayed second objects are automatically disposed.

15. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said White Board server comprises a first White Board server and a second White Board server, and wherein first and said second White Board clients shift connections from said first White Board server to said second White Board server when said first White Board server develops a fault.

16. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein said machine readable code further comprises code for storing data representative of a White Board session as a web page associated with said web server.

17. The machine readable code as recited in claim 4, wherein one of said first and second objects comprises a text object, and further comprising machine readable code enabling both of said first and said second White Board clients to shift between a write enable mode of operation and a write prohibit mode of operation and preventing both of said first and said second White Board clients from being in said write enable mode of operation simultaneously.

18. A memory storing machine readable code for converting a general purpose computer system into a dedicated White Board system facilitating collaboration between a plurality of users, said memory comprising:

a first memory storing first machine readable code generating;

a first White Board client which instantiates first objects having an associated first indicia;

a second White Board client which instantiates second objects having an associated second indicia; and

a web server which transmits portions of said machine readable code generating said first and said second White Board clients; and

a second memory storing second machine readable code generating a White Board server which operatively couples said first and said second White Board clients to one another, which stores all of said first and said second objects, and which selectively relays said first and said second objects between said second and said first White Board clients, respectively, responsive to said first and second indicia.

19. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said second machine readable code further comprises code generating a predetermined object server which receives said predetermined object from an object source excluding any of said White Board clients, and which transmits said predetermined object to all of said White Board clients.

20. The memory as recited in claim 19, wherein said predetermined object comprises an object sequence wherein each member of said object sequence is different than all other members of said object sequence.

21. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein one of said first and said second objects comprises an active hyperlink, and wherein selection of said active hyperlink causes said first and said second White Board clients to jump to the uniform resource locator (URL) associated with said active hyperlink.

22. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said second machine readable code includes code for recreating a White Board session from the stored objects.

23. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said White Board server generates a command to shut down at least one of said first and said second White Board clients responsive to an applied control signal.

24. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein a listing of object types which can be instantiated by said first and said second White Board clients is provided by said web server.

25. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said first machine readable code generates a first White Board client having a plurality of layers on which said first objects and relayed second objects can be placed at the discretion of a user.

26. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said first machine readable code generates a first White Board client having a plurality of layers on which said first objects and relayed second objects are automatically disposed.

27. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein said second machine readable code generates first and second White Board servers, and wherein first and said second White Board clients shift connections from said first White Board server to said second White Board server when said first White Board server develops a fault.

28. The memory as recited in claim 18, wherein one of said first and second objects comprises a text object, and wherein said second machine readable code enables both of said first and said second White Board clients to shift between a write enable mode of operation and a write prohibit mode of operation and prevents both of said first and said second White Board clients from being in said write enable mode of operation simultaneously.