Distinguishing shared and non-shared applications during collaborative computing sessions

• US 8,661,355 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Guangbing, Gu, Jiannong, Sheng, Hailei, Xin, Haitao
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US12/248,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 715/759, 715/760, 715/768
• US Class Current: 715/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

In one embodiment, a presenter device participates in an online collaborative computing session, and a determination is made to whether application windows on the presenter device are shared or non-shared, where shared application windows have a viewable portion on a display of the presenter device that may be transmitted to one or more attendee devices of the online collaborative computing session. Each of the one or more non-shared application windows on the display of the presenter device may be grayed out, such as by covering the non-shared application windows with a semi-transparent window.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

participating in an online collaborative computing session by a presenter device, wherein either an entire viewable area of a display device or a portion of the entire viewable area is designated for transmission to one or more attendee devices for the online collaborative computing session;

determining one or more shared application windows on the presenter device;

determining an area of the display of the presenter device having viewable shared application windows;

determining a plurality of areas of the display of the presenter device having viewable non-shared application windows;

generating a plurality of semi-transparent windows sized and positioned to the areas having the viewable non-shared application windows;

graying out each of one or more non-shared application windows on the display of the presenter device by covering the non-shared application windows with overlaid semi-transparent windows, wherein the semi-transparent windows are sized and positioned to a total area of the display of the presenter device subtracted by the area having the viewable shared application windows;

restricting input from one or more presenter interface devices associated with the presenter device to the plurality of semi-transparent windows; and

passing inputs from the one or more presenter interface devices through the semi-transparent window to a covered non-shared application window beneath the semi-transparent window.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein restricting input from one or more presenter interface devices comprises:

restricting input from one or more of a mouse and a keyboard.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the plurality of semi-transparent windows with one-half transparency.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

performing the determining and graying out on the presenter device.

5. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

performing the determining and graying out on a server supporting the online collaborative computing session.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, further comprising:

receiving a selection at the presenter device of which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, further comprising:

pre-designating which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared prior to initiating the online collaborative computing session at the presenter device.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position and size of each shared window application by dynamically monitoring and intercepting function calls made by the shared application to a graphics display subsystem.

9. The method as in claim 8, further wherein determining the position and size of each shared window application comprises:

determining position and size of OpenGL regions of each shared application window by intercepting OpenGL function calls.

10. Software encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media and when executed operable to:

participate in an online collaborative computing session as a presenter device, wherein either an entire viewable area of a display device or a portion of the entire viewable area is designated for transmission to one or more attendee devices for the online collaborative computing session;

determine one or more shared application windows on the presenter device;

determine an area of the display of the presenter device having viewable shared application windows;

determine a plurality of areas of the display of the presenter device having viewable non-shared application windows;

generate a plurality of semi-transparent windows sized and positioned to the areas having the viewable non-shared application windows;

gray out each of one or more non-shared application windows on the display of the presenter device by covering the non-shared application windows with overlaid semi-transparent windows, wherein the semi-transparent windows are sized and positioned to a total area of the display of the presenter device subtracted by the area having the viewable shared application windows;

restrict input from one or more presenter interface devices associated with the presenter device to the plurality of semi-transparent windows; and

pass inputs from the one or more presenter interface devices through the semi-transparent window to a covered non-shared application window beneath the semi-transparent window.

11. The software as in claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed are further operable to:

restrict input from one or more of a mouse and a keyboard.

12. The software as in claim 10, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, and further comprising instructions that when executed are further operable to:

receive a selection at the presenter device of which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared.

13. The software as in claim 10, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, and further comprising instructions that when executed are further operable to:

pre-designate which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared prior to initiating the online collaborative computing session at the presenter device.

14. The software as in claim 10, further comprising instructions that when executed are further operable to:

determine the position and size of each shared window application by dynamically monitoring and intercepting function calls made by the shared application to a graphics display subsystem.

15. The software as in claim 14, further wherein the instructions executed to determine the position and size of each shared window application comprise instructions that when executed are further operable to:

determine position and size of OpenGL regions of each shared application window by intercepting OpenGL function calls.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

a processor configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store one or more code modules, the one or more code modules when executed operable to

join an online collaborative computing session in which the apparatus functions as a presenter device, wherein either an entire viewable area of a display of the apparatus or a portion of the entire viewable area is designated for transmission to one or more attendee devices for the online collaborative computing session;

determine one or more shared application windows on the apparatus that functions as the presenter device;

determine an area of the display of the presenter device having viewable shared application windows;

determine a plurality of areas of the display of the presenter device having viewable non-shared application windows;

generate a plurality of semi-transparent windows sized and positioned to the areas having the viewable non-shared application windows;

gray out each of one or more non-shared application windows on the display of the apparatus that functions as the presenter device by covering the non-shared application windows with overlaid semi-transparent windows, wherein the semi-transparent windows are sized and positioned to a total area of the display of the presenter device subtracted by the area having the viewable shared application windows;

restrict input from interface devices of the apparatus to the plurality of semi-transparent windows; and

pass inputs from interface devices of the apparatus through the semi-transparent window to a covered non-shared application window beneath the semi-transparent window.

17. The apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the one or more code modules when executed are further operable to:

restrict input from one or more of a mouse and a keyboard.

18. The apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, and wherein the one or more code modules when executed are further operable to:

receive a selection at the presenter device of which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared.

19. The apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the entire viewable area comprises a plurality of application windows, and wherein the one or more code modules when executed are further operable to:

pre-designate which of the plurality of the application windows should be shared prior to initiating the online collaborative computing session at the presenter device.

20. The apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the one or more code modules when executed are further operable to:

determine the position and size of each shared window application by dynamically monitoring and intercepting function calls made by the shared application to a graphics display subsystem.