System for knowledge transfer in a group setting
First Claim
1. A client/server network of computers programmed for knowledge transfer in a group setting, the client/server network comprising:
- at least one server containing a database; and
a plurality of clients including participant workstations and at least one moderator workstation,each participant workstation programmed to provide a participant work area and having at least one corresponding participant input-device, and each of the participant input-devices being adapted to create data structures defining participant images that are then included in the participant work area, each participant workstation being programmed to send data structures defining participant images to the database on the at least one server and to retrieve moderator images from the database and include them in the participant work area;
each moderator workstation programmed to provide a moderator work area and comprising at least one moderator input-device, the at least one moderator input-device being adapted to create data structures defining moderator images that are then included on the moderator work area, the moderator workstation programmed to send the data structures defining the moderator images to the database on the at least one server, wherein the data structures are stored in the database, and to retrieve participant images from the database from any selected one of the plurality of participant work areas and include the selected participant images on the moderator work area, wherein the moderator workstation is adapted to transmit an object drawn by the moderator when the object is complete.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for knowledge transfer in a group setting comprises a plurality of participant work areas and a moderator work area. Each of the plurality of participant work areas has at least one corresponding participant input-device, and each of the participant input-devices is adapted to define participant images that are then included on the corresponding participant work area. The moderator work area comprises at least one moderator input-device. The at least one moderator input-device is adapted to define moderator images that are then included on the moderator work area and to select moderator images that are then simultaneously included on each of plurality of participant work areas. The moderator input-device is further adapted to select participant images from any of the plurality of participant work areas that are then included on the moderator work area.
-
Citations
45 Claims
-
1. A client/server network of computers programmed for knowledge transfer in a group setting, the client/server network comprising:
-
at least one server containing a database; and a plurality of clients including participant workstations and at least one moderator workstation, each participant workstation programmed to provide a participant work area and having at least one corresponding participant input-device, and each of the participant input-devices being adapted to create data structures defining participant images that are then included in the participant work area, each participant workstation being programmed to send data structures defining participant images to the database on the at least one server and to retrieve moderator images from the database and include them in the participant work area; each moderator workstation programmed to provide a moderator work area and comprising at least one moderator input-device, the at least one moderator input-device being adapted to create data structures defining moderator images that are then included on the moderator work area, the moderator workstation programmed to send the data structures defining the moderator images to the database on the at least one server, wherein the data structures are stored in the database, and to retrieve participant images from the database from any selected one of the plurality of participant work areas and include the selected participant images on the moderator work area, wherein the moderator workstation is adapted to transmit an object drawn by the moderator when the object is complete. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
21. A network of computers programmed for knowledge transfer in a group setting, the network comprising:
-
at least one server containing a database; a plurality of participant workstations, each programmed to provide a participant work area and having at least one corresponding participant input-device, each of the participant input-devices being adapted to create data structures defining participant images that are then included on the participant work area; a moderator workstation, programmed to provide a moderator work area and comprising at least one moderator input-device, the at least one moderator input-device being adapted to; create data structures defining moderator images that are then included on the moderator work area, and select moderator images that are then simultaneously included on each of the plurality of participant work areas; and collision-avoidance functionality that permits a participant to place footnote images on the participant work area that provide a link between the footnote images and corresponding images located elsewhere; wherein the data structures are stored in the database; wherein the moderator work area comprises a main layer, a moderator layer, a participant layer, and a background layer; wherein each participant work area comprises; a main layer; a participant layer; a moderator layer common to the moderator work area; and a background layer common to the moderator work area; wherein the moderator input-device is further adapted to select participant layers from any of the plurality of participant work areas that are then copied to the participant layer on the moderator'"'"'s virtual drawing surface; and wherein a participant layer may only be selected to be copied to the participant layer on the moderator'"'"'s virtual drawing surface after an instruction has been given at the participant workstation upon which the participant layer resides. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A client/server method of facilitating knowledge transfer in a group setting, comprising:
-
providing at least one server containing a database; connecting the at least one server to a plurality of clients including participant workstations and at least one moderator workstation, each participant workstation comprising; at least one participant display device; at least one participant input device; and a participant virtual drawing surface, the at least one participant input device being adapted to permit the participant to create data structures defining images on the participant virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one participant display device; each moderator workstation comprising; at least one moderator display device; at least one moderator input-device; and a moderator virtual drawing surface, the at least one moderator input device being adapted to create data structures defining images on the moderator virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one moderator display device and on each of the participant display devices; sending data structures from the moderator workstation to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the participant workstations for display on the participant display devices; and sending data structures from participant workstations to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the moderator workstation; wherein each moderator workstation is adapted to transmit an object drawn by the moderator when the object is complete. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
34. An interactive learning method facilitating multiple synchronous class sessions, comprising:
-
providing a client/server architecture including at least one server containing a database; connecting the at least one server to a plurality of student workstations and an associated teacher workstation in each of a plurality of classes, each student workstation comprising; at least one student display device; at least one student input device; and a student virtual drawing surface, the at least one student input device being adapted to permit the student to create data structures defining images on the student virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one student display device; each teacher workstation comprising; at least one teacher display device; at least one teacher input-device; and a teacher virtual drawing surface, the at least one teacher input device being adapted to create data structures defining images on the teacher virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one teacher display device; sending data structures from the teacher workstation in each class to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the student workstations in the respective classes for display on the student display devices; and sending data structures from student workstations in each class to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the respective teacher workstations; wherein each teacher workstation is adapted to transmit an object drawn by the teacher when the object is complete. - View Dependent Claims (35, 39, 40)
-
-
41. A client/server network of computers programmed for knowledge transfer in a group setting, the client/server network comprising:
-
at least one server containing a database; a plurality of clients including participant workstations and at least one moderator workstation, each participant workstation programmed to provide a participant work area and having at least one corresponding participant input-device, and each of the participant input-devices being adapted to create data structures defining participant images that are then included in the participant work area, each participant workstation being programmed to send data structures defining participant images to the database on the at least one server and to retrieve moderator images from the database and include them in the participant work area; each moderator workstation programmed to provide a moderator work area and comprising at least one moderator input-device, the at least one moderator input-device being adapted to create data structures defining moderator images that are then included on the moderator work area, the moderator workstation programmed to send the data structures defining the moderator images to the database on the at least one server, wherein the data structures are stored in the database, and to retrieve participant images from the database from any selected one of the plurality of participant work areas and include the selected participant images on the moderator work area; and collision-avoidance functionality permitting a participant to place a first image in the moderator work area visible to the moderator, the first image having a corresponding image in the participant work area that is not visible to the moderator.
-
-
42. A client/server method of facilitating knowledge transfer in a group setting, comprising:
-
providing at least one server containing a database; connecting the at least one server to a plurality of clients including participant workstations and at least one moderator workstation, each participant workstation comprising; at least one participant display device; at least one participant input device; and a participant virtual drawing surface, the at least one participant input device being adapted to permit the participant to create data structures defining images on the participant virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one participant display device; each moderator workstation comprising; at least one moderator display device; at least one moderator input-device; and a moderator virtual drawing surface, the at least one moderator input device being adapted to create data structures defining images on the moderator virtual drawing surface that are displayed on the at least one moderator display device and on each of the participant display devices; sending data structures from the moderator workstation to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the participant workstations for display on the participant display devices; and sending data structures from participant workstations to the database on the at least one server and therefrom to the moderator workstation; and avoiding collisions by permitting a participant to place a first image on the moderator virtual drawing surface visible to the moderator, the first image having a corresponding image on the participant virtual drawing surface that is not visible to the moderator.
-
Specification