System and method for providing one class of users of an application a view of what another class of users of the application is visually experiencing

• US 8,239,453 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, Jeremy Max, Mitra, Kanchan
• Primary Examiner(s): NICKERSON, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US11/067,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

A technique for providing one class of users of an application a view of what a typical user in another class of users of the same application is visually experiencing. A client application that is interacting with the application provides a user an option of having a PIP view of what a typical user in one of the other classes of users supported by the application is visually experiencing. When the user requests to display a PIP view that represents what a typical user in a specified one of the other classes of users of the same application is seeing, a PIP view window is automatically rendered on the user'"'"'s display screen. The PIP view window represents what a typical user in the specified one of the other classes of users is seeing, but is not an “active” interface through which the user can interact with the application.

Claims

1. A system of a client computing device for providing a user belonging to a first class of users of an application a view of what a user in another class of users of the same application is visually experiencing, the system comprising:

a memory of the client computing device storing computer-executable instructions that when executed;

establish a first connection to an application executing at a server and display on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen a first desktop provided by the application,

wherein the first connection allows a user of the client computing device to interact with the application as a member of the first class of users supported by the application,

wherein further the first desktop is provided for use by members of the first class of users; and

in response to a request to display on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen a view of what a user in a second class of users supported by the application is currently visually experiencing, perform the following;

listen for events going from the client computing device to the application over the first connection;

copy the events going from the client computing device to the application;

process the events as if the processing is occurring on a console of the second class of users'"'"' console; and

while displaying the first desktop on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen, render a view window on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen based on the processed events, the view window having a representation of a current desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users; and

a processor of the client computing device that executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second component scales the view window to a smaller size before rendering the view window.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the view window displays a summary of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the view window displays snippets of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the view window is anchored to the first desktop provided for use by members of the first class of users.

6. A computer-implemented method in a client computing device for providing a user belonging to a first class of application users a view of what a user in another class of users of the same application is visually experiencing, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a client computing device and an application executing at a server, the connection enables a user to interact with the application as a member of a first class of users supported by the application through a first desktop provided for use by members of the first class of users, wherein the first desktop is displayed on the client computing device'"'"'s display device;

receiving from the user a request to display a view that represents what a user in a second class of users of the same application is currently seeing; and

in response to the user requesting to display a view that represents what a user in a second class of users of the same application is currently seeing, performing the following;

listening for events going over the connection from the client computing device to the application;

processing the events as if the processing is occurring on the second class of users'"'"' console; and

while the first desktop is being displayed, rendering a view window on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen, wherein the view window is a representation of a current desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the view window is relocatable on the client computing device'"'"'s display screen.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the view window is resizable.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the view window is scaled to a smaller size.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the view window displays a summary of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the view window displays snippets of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by members of the second class of users.

12. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions which when executed cause a client application executing on a client device to provide a view of what a user in another class of users of an application executing on a server is visually experiencing, the application being a collaborative application, by:

establishing a connection between the client application and the application, the connection allows a user of the client application to interact with the application as a member of a first class of users supported by the application during a collaboration session, the user interacts with first content of the collaboration session using a first desktop that is displayed on the user'"'"'s display screen, the first desktop displaying the first content of the collaborative session that the first class of users has permission to view;

providing the user an option of having a view of a second desktop of what another user in one of a plurality of classes of users supported by the application is currently visually experiencing during the collaboration session, the second desktop displaying second content of the collaboration session that the another user has permission to view, the first content being different from the second content; and

upon the user requesting to display a view that represents what the another user of the same application is currently seeing, performing the following;

listening for events going over the connection from the client device to the application;

copying the events going from the client device to the application;

processing the copied events as if the processing is occurring on the another users'"'"' console; and

while the first desktop is displayed, automatically rendering on the user'"'"'s display screen a view window that represents what the another user of the same application is currently seeing.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the option of having a view of what another user in one of a plurality of classes of users supported by the application is currently visually experiencing is based on access levels.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12 further comprising, upon the user requesting to display a view that represents what a user in a specified one of the plurality of classes of users of the same application is currently seeing, automatically copying events being sent from the client application to the application.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the view window is scaled.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the view window displays a representation of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by users supported by the application.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the view window does not allow the user to interact with the application.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the view window displays an indication of data that is actually displayed on the desktop provided by the application for use by users supported by the application.