Method, system and program product for managing windows in a network-based collaborative meeting

• US 7,278,107 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan; Alvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/316,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 715/520, 715/751, 715/753, 715/759, 715/781, 715/788, 715/792
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• 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

Under the present invention, a source meeting partner can select a target application for sharing with one ore more destination meeting partners during a collaborative meeting. Upon selection of the target application, a portion of a meeting application window will be removed, and a window corresponding to the target application will be positioned to be viewable through the removed portion. If necessary, one or more navigators (e.g., scroll bars) can be provided to manipulate the target application window. Thus, the present invention allows the meeting application window and the target application window to be simultaneously viewable without requiring resizing or repositioning of either one.

Claims

1. A method for managing windows in a network-based collaborative meeting, comprising:

accessing a meeting application window pertaining to the network-based collaborative meeting;

removing a portion of the meeting application window, the portion being determined based on a data portion of the meeting application window and a region of a window corresponding to a shared target application, wherein the removing step comprises;

determining on-screen coordinates of the data portion of the meeting application window;

determining on screen coordinates of the meeting application window;

determining the region of the window corresponding to the target application;

determining a value by performing an AND logical operation of the region of the target application and the on-screen coordinates of the data portion of the meeting application window; and

determining the portion to be removed by performing an exclusive-OR logical operation of the value and the on-screen coordinates of the meeting application window; and

removing the portion from the meeting application window; and

viewing the window corresponding to the shared target application through the removed portion of the meeting application window.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating a target application for sharing in the network-based collaborative meeting, prior to removing the portion of the meeting application window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the meeting application window is accessed via a source meeting application on a source computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a set of navigators for manipulating the window corresponding to the target application as viewed through the removed portion of the meeting application window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing the target application with a destination computer system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the destination computer system includes a destination meeting application.