Application sharing in a frame

• US 6,570,590 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Giloi, Claus T., Dailey, Jane L., Butler, Laura J., Dubrow, Deborah L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/413,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 345/751, 345/752, 345/753, 345/754, 345/755, 345/756, 345/757, 345/758, 345/759, 345/748, 345/749
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

User interface for displaying and interacting with images corresponding to applications shared over a computer network in a data conference is described. The described interface provides a user with greater control over the use of a desktop by providing controls for moving and sizing images, including fake windows, corresponding to shared applications by displaying such windows in a frame. The frame is the entity that is manipulated by a user with familiar graphical symbols, or even custom designs, thus avoiding potential complexity in managing control over the images of the shared applications. This user interface facilitates frames that may optionally be semi-transparent or transparent in order to allow a user to keep track of icons and windows covered by the frame. Frames are also useful in reducing network traffic by providing a method for detecting the level of interest of a user in a shared application. Thus, they can be used to modulate the frequency of updating images of shared applications to reflect the need for changes determined by whether the frame is in focus or even closed.

Claims

1. In a client computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a pointing device, the computer system being connected to a host computer system, the host computer system sharing an application with the client computer system during data conferencing, and the host computer system controlling an image corresponding to the shared application on the display-device of the client computer system, a method for displaying and manipulating an image corresponding to the shared application on the display-device of the client computer system, the method comprising:

displaying in a top-level frame on the display device of the client computer system, the image corresponding to the shared application, the application being non-responsive to commands issued from the client computer system until the client computer system obtains control of the shared application from the host computer system;

facilitating a plurality of operations, the operations including moving, restoring, minimizing and closing, on said top-level frame by a user of the client computer system; and

manipulating the top-level frame of the client computer to reflect a degree of interest and designating the frequency of updates to the image corresponding to the shared application in the frame on the display device of the client computer in accordance with the degree of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame is associated with a plurality of graphical symbols.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for issuing commands for moving the top-level frame.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for issuing commands for restoring the top-level frame.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for issuing commands for minimizing the top-level frame.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for issuing commands for maximizing the top-level frame.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for issuing commands for transferring focus.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the image of the shared application is a fake window.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame includes a graphical symbol selectable by the pointing device for indicating current focus.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame is associated with a fake-taskbar, said fake-taskbar comprising a plurality of buttons corresponding to a plurality of applications being shared.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a button, corresponding to the shared application, on the fake-taskbar reflects whether the corresponding application is in focus.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame includes a scroll bar.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame is not displayed on a display device of the host.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a fake-taskbar is displayed on a desktop of the host to indicate applications being shared.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame is partially transparent.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the top-level frame corresponds to a particular group of applications.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical functionality accessible through pointing devices are also accessible through keyboard commands.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the steps of displaying and manipulating, on a display device of a client computer having a graphical user interface, an image corresponding to a shared application, said shared application shared by a host, the host in a data conference with the client computer and controlling the image on the client computer, the steps comprising:

displaying a frame on the display device of the client computer;

including the image corresponding to the shared application in the frame;

manipulating the frame on the display device of the client computer in order to manipulate the image included in the frame;

displaying the image corresponding to the shared application relative to the frame, the application being non-responsive to commands issued from the client computer until the client computer system obtains control of the shared application from the host computer; and

manipulating the top-level frame of the client computer to reflect a degree of interest and designating the frequency of updates to the image corresponding to the shared application in the frame on the display device of the client computer in accordance with the degree of interest.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further having computer-executable instructions wherein the step of displaying the image corresponding to the shared application relative to the frame further includes displaying a fake window corresponding to the shared application in the same relationship to a boundary of the frame as is between a shared application window and a boundary of a desktop of the host.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 further having computer-executable instructions wherein the step of displaying a frame further includes displaying a scroll bar to allow the entire fake window to be accessed by a user of the client computer within the confines of the boundary of the frame.