System, method and graphical user interface for identifying image from remote site during screen sharing

• US 7,757,001 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Van Ieperen, Taco
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong, Dohm
• Application Number:
  US10/132,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,000 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/200, 715/204, 715/751, 715/778, 715/779, 715/803, 709201-205, 709/217, 709/227, 709/229, 709/246, 345/2.2
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A distributed computer network includes at least two computers. Each of the at least two computers runs an application sharing program to enable an image generated by one computer to be displayed by at least one other computer. At least one of the at least two computers executes an image modifying routine to alter the appearance of an image generated by the one computer prior to display on the at least one other computer. In this manner, a user of the at least one other computer can tell at a glance if an image being presented is an image that has been received from the one computer or is its own desktop graphical user interface.

Claims

1. In a distributed computer network where a host computer communicates with at least one remote computer and an image of the host computer'"'"'s desktop is shared with said at least one remote computer, said host computer and at least one remote computer each operating in a multiple-window graphic user interface environment and running an application sharing program, a method of sharing an image of the host computer desktop comprising the steps of:

at the host computer, identifying displayed elements of the host computer desktop associated with both the application sharing program and control tools of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment;

transmitting image data representing the image of the host computer desktop from the host computer to said at least one remote computer; and

at the at least one remote computer, upon receipt of the image data automatically displaying a visually modified image of the host computer desktop in full screen, said visually modified image of the host computer desktop being a replica of said host computer desktop and further comprising visual demarcations overlying at least one of the identified displayed elements of the host computer desktop, said visual demarcations constituting a visual cue to a viewer that the full screen modified image of the host computer desktop displayed by the at least one remote computer is not a local desktop of said at least one remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said identified displayed elements comprise windows of said application sharing program and at least one of task and scroll bars of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said identified displayed elements comprise windows of said application sharing program and both task and scroll bars of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said visual demarcations further comprise labeling.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified prior to transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the image of said host computer desktop image is visually modified after transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said visual demarcations further comprise labeling.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified prior to transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified after transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified prior to transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified after transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein visual demarcations overlie each of the identified displayed elements of the host computer desktop.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified prior to transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified after transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein said identified displayed elements comprise windows of said application sharing program and at least one of task and scroll bars of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein said identified displayed elements comprise windows of said application sharing program and both task and scroll bars of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified prior to transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the image of said host computer desktop is visually modified after transmission of said image data to said at least one remote computer.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said visual demarcations comprise hatching.