Method and apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the internet

• US 6,809,749 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2000
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mivalife Mobile Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Oridus, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gu, Ke-Qin, Chen, Tsung-Yen, Han, Ching-Chih, Lee, Kuo-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/563,658
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 315/733, 315/738, 315/751, 315/758, 315/753, 315/741, 315/742, 315/760, 315/804, 315/854, 709/201, 709/202, 709/218
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method of conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprises: selectively admitting clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet to an interactive design conference; receiving a graphics file indicative of a design from one of the clients; and transmitting the graphics file to the other clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in the client web browsers. The graphics file is generated by a snapshot program previously transmitted to a client initiating the design conference and controlling the design database. Java applets are transmitted to each of the design conference participants to facilitate communicating annotations of the graphics image and messages between clients through their web browsers.

Claims

1. A method of conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprising:

selectively admitting a plurality of clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet to an interactive design conference according to criteria established upon initiation of said interactive design conference;

receiving a graphics file indicative of a design from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmitting said graphics file to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in said web browsers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving a graphics file comprises receiving a JPEG file.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving a graphics file comprises receiving a GIF file.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving a graphics file comprises receiving a TIF file.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a snapshot program to one of said plurality of clients, and said receiving a graphics file comprises receiving a graphics file generated by said snapshot program from said one of said plurality of clients.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a java applet to each of said plurality of clients to run in said web browsers, and said transmitting said graphics file comprises transmitting said graphics file to said plurality of clients in response to said java applets so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in said web browsers.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an annotation of said graphics image from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmitting said annotation to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable as an overlay over said graphics image.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising transmitting a java applet facilitating annotation of said graphics file to each of said plurality of clients to run in said web browsers.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmitting said message to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable in an area adjacent to said graphics image.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selectively admitting comprises:

assigning a conference identification number to said interactive design conference; and

admitting each of said plurality of clients to said interactive design conference only after receiving said conference identification number from said client.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising updating an attendee list to include each of said plurality of clients admitted to said interactive design conference.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising updating said attendee list to delete each of said plurality of clients logging off said interactive design conference.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said selectively admitting comprises:

receiving a list of authorized participants to said interactive design conference; and

admitting each of said plurality of clients to said interactive design conference only after confirming that said client is on said list of authorized participants.

14. A method of conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprising:

establishing a design conference including a plurality of clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet according to criteria established upon initiation of said interactive design conference;

receiving a graphics file indicative of a design from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmitting said graphics file to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in or invoked by said web browsers.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising transmitting a snapshot program to one of said plurality of clients, and said receiving a graphics file comprises receiving a graphics file generated by said snapshot program from said one of said plurality of clients.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising transmitting a java applet to each of said plurality of clients to run in said web browsers, and said transmitting said graphics file comprises transmitting said graphics file to said plurality of clients in response to said java applets so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in or invoked by said web browsers.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an annotation of said graphics image from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmitting said annotation to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable as an overlay over said graphics image.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising transmitting a java applet facilitating annotation of said graphics file to each of said plurality of clients to run in said web browsers.

19. An apparatus for conducting an interactive design conference over the Internet, comprises a web server programmed to establish a design conference including a plurality of clients communicating through web browsers over the Internet according to criteria established upon initiation of said interactive design conference;

receive a graphics file indicative of a design from one of said plurality of clients; and

transmit said graphics file to said plurality of clients so as to be viewable as a graphics image through graphics file readers in or invoked by said web browsers.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said web server is further programmed to transmit a snapshot program to one of said plurality of clients to facilitate generation of said graphics file by said client, and a java applet to each of said plurality of clients to facilitate annotation of said graphics file by said clients.

21. An apparatus for conducting an interactive application conference over the Internet, comprising a web client configured with an application page defining a display area for displaying a graphics image indicative of an application, and an annotation area for generating annotations of said graphics image;

a snapshot program to generate upon command a graphics file corresponding to said graphics image, and transmit upon command said graphics file to a web server for retransmission over the Internet to other participants selectively admitted to said interactive application conference according to criteria established upon initiation of said interactive application conference and communicating through web browsers so as to translate said graphics file back into and display said graphics image; and

a module to generate upon command annotations of said graphics image and transmit said annotations to said web server for retransmission over the Internet to said other participants configured with java applets cooperating with said web browsers so as to display said annotations over said graphics image.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said web client is further configured with an application program to generate said graphics image, and said application page, said snapshot program, and said module are included in a wrap-around program integrated with said application program.