Dynamic screen sharing for optimal performance

• US 9,131,021 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/082,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 661 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0428 Gradation resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/04 using circuits for interfacing with colour displays
• 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

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments disclose sharing an area of a computer system screen. A first computer system configures a sharing session for sharing a region of the screen with a second computer system. The first computer system assesses information on performance of the sharing session, determining from the information a minimum size of the region based on the assessment, and then selects the region to share based on the assessment and a designation by a user.

Claims

1. A computer program product for sharing a region of a computer system screen, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for selecting an application to generate the region on the screen of a first computer system to share with a second computer system in a sharing session, wherein the application configures the first computer system to share the region with the second computer system using a screen sharing tool, and wherein the region is defined by a user of the first computer system to dynamically share a selected portion of the screen by creating a pixel map of the region wherein the region is selectively defined using regular, simple shapes, including rectangles or circles, complex irregular shapes of a usable form for selecting a useable region of screen, and a set of regular and irregular shapes, and wherein the region further comprising one or more regions defined on the screen;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for assessing information on performance of the sharing session, including assessing performance of client devices;

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for determining from the information on performance a minimum size of the region based on the assessment; and

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for selecting the region to share based on the assessment and a designation by a user.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the information on performance of the sharing session includes latencies of the sharing session and characteristics of the second computer system.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for monitoring a characteristic of content in the sharing session, a constraint of the second computer system, and a feedback of performance from the second computer system; and

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for modifying the region, a characteristic of the content being shared, or a characteristic of a data stream in the sharing session as required to maintain performance.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for monitoring the second computer system, wherein the monitoring comprises periodic polling of the second computer system for information on performance or receiving a request to modify the sharing session.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program code, stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, for determining characteristics of a data stream to use in the sharing session based on the information on performance of the sharing session and the region.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the assessing information on performance comprises assessing a bandwidth requirement based on a resolution characteristic, a refresh rate characteristic, and a color depth characteristic of the region.

7. A data processing system for sharing a region of a computer system screen in a sharing session, the data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores program code;

a processor unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processor unit executes the program code;

to select an application to generate the region on the screen of a first computer system to share with a second computer system in a sharing session, wherein the application configures the first computer system to share the region with the second computer system using a screen sharing tool, and wherein the region is defined by a user of the first computer system to dynamically share a selected portion of the screen by creating a pixel map of the region wherein the region is selectively defined using regular, simple shapes, including rectangles or circles, complex irregular shapes of a usable form for selecting a useable region of screen, and a set of regular and irregular shapes, and wherein the region further comprising one or more regions defined on the screen;

to assess information on performance of the sharing session, including assessing performance of client devices;

to determine from the information on performance a minimum size of the region based on the assessment; and

to select the region to share based on the assessment and a designation by a user.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the information on performance of the sharing session includes latencies of the sharing session and characteristics of the second computer system.

9. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the processor unit executes the program code to monitor a characteristic of content in the sharing session, a constraint of the second computer system, and a feedback of performance from the second computer system;

and to modify the region, a characteristic of the content being shared, or a characteristic of a data stream in the sharing session as required to maintain performance.

10. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the processor unit executes the program code to monitor the second computer system, wherein the monitoring comprises periodic polling of the second computer system for information on performance or receiving a request to modify the sharing session.

11. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the processor unit executes the program code to determine characteristics of a data stream to use in the sharing session based on the information on performance of the sharing session and the region.

12. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the assessed information on performance comprises an assessed bandwidth requirement based on a resolution characteristic, a refresh rate characteristic, and a color depth characteristic of the region.