Meeting system and information storage medium

• US 7,251,675 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Fumio, Kamakura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US09/743,112
• Time in Patent Office: 2,647 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-205, 709/213, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40123 Interconnection of computers and peripherals printer information exchange with computer G06F3/1293

Abstract

In a meeting system, supplied-data which is convertible using a virtual machine is transmitted and received among a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line, and meeting data is reproduced. At least two of the plurality of processing apparatuses include a meeting data reproducing apparatus respectively. At least one meeting data reproducing apparatus includes converting means including a virtual machine for converting the supplied-data into a data format which allows the meeting data to be reproduced, a communication interface unit for receiving the supplied-data from other processing apparatuses, and storage means in which a generated image is stored and which is accessible by other processing apparatuses via the communication interface unit. Each of at least one meeting data reproducing apparatus described above and another meeting data reproducing apparatus including the converting means and the communication interface unit reads part of the meeting data from the storage means and reproduces meeting data in a task-distributed fashion.

Claims

1. A meeting system in which supplied-data convertible using a virtual machine is transmitted and received among a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line, and in which meeting data is reproduced,

at least two of said plurality of processing apparatuses comprising a meeting data reproducing apparatus respectively, each meeting data reproducing apparatus reproducing meeting data that includes fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time;

at least one meeting data reproducing apparatus comprising;

a conversion unit including a virtual machine that receives the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, reads files in a common format and performs operations specified in the files, the virtual machine converting said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be reproduced, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data;

a communication interface unit that receives said supplied-data from another processing apparatus; and

a storage unit in which a generated image is stored and which is accessible by said another processing apparatus via said communication interface unit, and

each of said at least one meeting data reproducing apparatus and said another meeting data reproducing apparatus including said conversion unit and said communication interface unit reading a part of said meeting data from said storage unit and reproducing meeting data in a task-distributed fashion.

2. The meeting system according to claim 1,

at least two processing apparatuses being associated with at least two respective meeting participants, and

each of the at least two processing apparatuses identifying a corresponding one of the at least two respective meeting participants.

3. The meeting system according to claim 1,

the generated image being generated based on the meeting data, and

each of the at least one meeting data reproducing apparatus and the another meeting data reproducing apparatus simultaneously displaying different parts of the generated image on different sub-areas of a display area.

4. The meeting system according to claim 1, the virtual machine being a JAVA virtual machine.

5. The meeting system according to claim 1, the supplied-data including time data.

6. A meeting system in which supplied-data convertible using a virtual machine is transmitted and received among a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line, and in which meeting data is generated,

at least two of said plurality of processing apparatuses comprising a meeting data generating apparatus respectively, each meeting data generating apparatus generating meeting data that includes fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time:

at least one meeting data generating apparatus comprising;

a conversion unit including a virtual machine that receives the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, reads files in a common format and performs operations specified in the files, the virtual machine converting said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be generated, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data;

a communication interface unit that receives said supplied-data convertible by said convertion unit means from another processing apparatus; and

a storage unit that stores generated meeting data, which is accessible by the other processing apparatus via said communication interface unit, and

each of said at least one meeting data generating apparatus and the other meeting data generating apparatus including said conversion unit and said communication interface unit accessing said storage unit and generating meeting data in a task-distributed fashion.

7. The meeting system according to claim 6, the virtual machine being a JAVA virtual machine.

8. The meeting system according to claim 6, the supplied-data including time data.

9. A meeting system in which supplied-data convertible using a virtual machine is transmitted and received among a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line, and in which meeting data is generated and reproduced,

at least one of said plurality of processing apparatuses comprising a meeting data generating apparatus,

at least one of said plurality of processing apparatuses comprising a meeting data reproducing apparatus, each meeting data reproducing apparatus reproducing meeting data that includes fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time;

said meeting data reproducing apparatus comprising;

a conversion unit including a virtual machine that receives the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, reads files in a common format and performs operations specified in the files, the virtual machine converting said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be reproduced, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data; and

a communication interface unit that receives said supplied-data, which is convertible by said conversion unit, from another processing apparatus;

said meeting data generating apparatus comprising;

a supplied-data generation unit that generates supplied-data, which is convertible by said conversion unit, in accordance with generated meeting data; and

a communication interface unit that transmits supplied-data including generated meeting data to said meeting data reproducing apparatus via said transmission line,

at least one of said meeting data generating apparatus and said meeting data reproducing apparatus comprising a storage unit that stores generated meeting data, which is accessible by another processing apparatus via said communication interface unit, and

said meeting data generating apparatus and said meeting data reproducing apparatus accessing said storage unit and generating and reproducing meeting data.

10. The meeting system according to claim 9,

said supplied-data comprising at least one of image data for displaying said meeting data and control data for controlling the displaying of said meeting data,

said meeting data reproducing apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays said meeting data in accordance with said image data; and

a control unit that controls the displaying of said meeting data in accordance with said control data.

11. The meeting system according to claim 9,

said processing apparatus comprising a server device,

said supplied-data comprising a component object serving as a part of a program for generating said meeting data, and

said meeting data generating apparatus generating said program for generating meeting data in accordance with the received component object and generating said meeting data using said program.

12. The meeting system according to claim 9,

said meeting data generating apparatus comprising data control unit that stores the supplied-data, converted by said conversion unit, in said storage unit in which particular presentation data is stored while said supplied-data is managed in units of supplied-data received from each of said processing apparatuses, and

reads meeting data including at least a part of said supplied-data and said presentation data from said storage unit in accordance with a reproduction command from each of said processing apparatuses, and

said communication interface unit comprising a transmitting unit that transmits the read meeting data to said meeting data reproducing apparatus.

13. The meeting system according to claim 12,

said meeting data reproducing apparatus reproducing said meeting data stored in said storage unit in units of data associated with said processing apparatus which supplies said supplied-data, in accordance with said reproduction command.

14. The meeting system according to claim 13,

said meeting data generating apparatus comprising:

an image-recording unit that records images of a meeting scene, and

an image data unit that stores image data obtained as a result of the recording of images of the meeting scene in said storage unit as a part of said meeting data, in predetermined units of data, and

said meeting data reproducing apparatus reproducing said meeting data stored in said storage unit, in predetermined units of data in accordance with said reproduction command.

15. The meeting system according to claim 14,

at least one of said meeting data generating apparatus and said meeting data reproducing apparatus comprising a projector.

16. The meeting system according to claim 9, the virtual machine being a JAVA virtual machine.

17. An information storage medium readable by a computer including a storage unit and that stores information for generating meeting data while a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line transmit and receive, and perform distributed processing on, supplied data in a common format interpretable by a virtual machine, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data, said information comprising:

information for implementing a communication interface unit which allows said storage unit to be shared by other processing apparatuses via the transmission line;

information for reproducing meeting data by a meeting data reproducing apparatus of each of the plurality of processing apparatuses, each of the meeting data information including fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time; and

information for implementing said virtual machine to receive the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, read files in the common format, perform operations specified in the files, and convert said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be reproduced.

18. The meeting system according to claim 17, the virtual machine being a JAVA virtual machine.

19. An information storage medium which is readable by a computer and which stores information for generating meeting data while a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line transmit and receive, and perform distributed processing on, supplied data in a common format interpretable by a virtual machine, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data, said information comprising:

information for generating supplied-data in said common format;

information for transmitting said generated supplied-data to at least one of said processing apparatuses having storage unit accessible by the respective processing apparatuses via the transmission line;

information for reproducing meeting data by a meeting data reproducing apparatus of each of the plurality of processing apparatuses, each of the meeting data information including fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time; and

information for implementing the virtual machine to receive the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, read files in the common format, perform operations specified in the files, and convert said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be reproduced.

20. An information storage medium which is readable by a computer and which stores information for reproducing meeting data while a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line transmit and receive, and perform distributed processing on, supplied-data in a common format interpretable by a virtual machine,

said information comprising:

reading information for accessing at least one of said processing apparatuses having a storage unit which stores said meeting data and which is accessible by the respective processing apparatuses to read said meeting data stored in said storage unit, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data; and

reproducing information for reproducing read image data,

said reading information comprising;

information for generating supplied-data indicating a reading request and for converting said supplied-data into said common format; and

information for transmitting said converted supplied-data via the transmission line to a processing apparatus having said storage unit to receive supplied-data including meeting data from said processing apparatus,

said reproducing information comprising;

information for reproducing meeting data by a meeting data reproducing apparatus of each of the plurality of processing apparatuses, each of the meeting data information including fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied-data so that a portion of the meeting data may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time;

information for implementing said virtual machine to receive the supplied-data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, read files in the common format and perform operations specified in the files;

convert said supplied-data including said meeting data to be reproduced; and

information for converting supplied-data, using said virtual machine in accordance with the received supplied-data, into a data format so as to reproduce the meeting data.

21. An information storage medium which is readable by a computer and which stores information for generating meeting data while a plurality of processing apparatuses interconnected via a transmission line transmit and receive, and perform distributed processing on, supplied-data in a common format interpretable by a virtual machine, the meeting data being stored in units based on corresponding units of the supplied-data, each unit of the meeting data being identifiable by a specific processing apparatus that supplied a corresponding unit of the supplied-data, said information comprising:

requesting information for requesting a particular service to another processing apparatus;

providing information for providing a particular service to another processing apparatus,

said requesting information comprising;

information for generating supplied-data indicating a request for said particular service and converting said supplied-data into said common format; and

information for transmitting said converted supplied-data to another processing apparatus via the transmission line,

said providing information comprising;

information for reproducing meeting data by a meeting data reproducing apparatus of each of the plurality of processing apparatuses, each of the meeting data information including fixed presentation data and supplied-data, and the presentation data including at least one pointer indicating an address of the supplied data so that a meeting scene may be reproduced by specifying at least one of a particular presenter, a meeting participant or time;

information for implementing said virtual machine to receive the supplied data from another one of the plurality of processing apparatuses, read files in the common format and perform operations specified in the files;

convert said supplied-data including said meeting data to be reproduced;

information for receiving supplied-data indicating a request for a service from another processing apparatus and converting, using said virtual machine, said supplied-data into a data format which allows said meeting data to be reproduced;

information for determining whether it is possible to provide said service in accordance with said converted supplied-data; and

information for, if it is possible to provide said service, providing said service.

22. The information storage medium according to claim 21,

said supplied-data comprising at least one of meeting data, an object for generating meeting data, an object for controlling the generation of meeting data, an object for reproducing meeting data, and an object for controlling the reproduction of meeting data.