Pixel color matching across X servers in network conferencing systems by master-participant pair mapping

• US 6,356,275 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1995
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fuqua, Todd W., Ansberry, Catherine Malia
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago, Enrique L
• Application Number:
  US08/387,505
• Time in Patent Office: 2,584 Days
• Field of Search: 395/153, 395/131, 395/157, 395/161, 395/329, 395/330, 395/335, 395/340, 345/150, 345/153, 345/199, 345/581, 345/589, 345/591, 345/593, 345/600, 345/601, 345/602
• US Class Current: 345/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method of mapping pixel IDs between X servers that differ in the format of pixel IDs they support is disclosed. The method involves defining a specific type of map for each master/participant pair, thus allowing X servers that support different formats to participate in one conference and to view colors that are as close to the application'"'"'s request as each X server deems possible. A method of supporting applications that are dependent on mathematical operations on pixel values by an X Windows conferencing enabler is further disclosed. The mathematical operations on pixel values are common among X Windows applications that are color intensive, such as scientific visualization programs. This method allows these applications to be displayed with colors that are as close as the supports to the colors requested by the application as supported by the X server.

Claims

1. In a networking system that provides conferencing of an application among a plurality of X servers, each using the same colormapping format, a method of supporting applications that are dependent upon translation of pixel values by a conferencing enabler, comprising the steps of:

(A) requesting a connection to all desired servers;

(B) requesting a connection on each server within said conference;

(C) generating a colormap on each server in said conference in response to an occurrence of said requested connection;

(D) allocating black and white pixel IDs in said colormap;

(E) installing said generated colormap on each of said servers; and

(F) replacing a default colormap ID and black and white pixel IDs within a reply sent to the application from each X server with a colormap ID of said colormap generated in step (C).

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specific type of map for each master/participant pair is an indexed map.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specific type of map for each master/participant pair is a composite map.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specific type of map for each master/participant pair is an indexed/composite map.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said specific type of map for each master/participant pair is an composite/indexed map.