Multi-party virtual desktop

• US 9,131,022 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeGrazia, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US14/489,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20150007063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• 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

In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a plurality of tiles on a user'"'"'s computer screen, each of the tiles comprising shared data, and receiving new shared data and processing the new shared data to update the shared data displayed on the user'"'"'s computer screen. The shared data is collected at a centralized device and distributed by the centralized device to the user, the centralized device operable to organize and transmit the shared data contained in one or more of the tiles to a plurality of users. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving shared data at a centralized device in communication with a plurality of user devices;

associating said shared data with a communication channel, at least one of said plurality of user devices active on the communication channel; and

transmitting said shared data to the communication channel for distribution to the active user device and displaying in a tile on the active user device in real-time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said tile is movable and sizable on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said shared data comprises remote user input.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said tile comprises an identifier associated with a source of said shared data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said shared data comprises remote user input in the form of keyboard input.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said tile comprises a chat window.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of said plurality of user devices belong to a group associated with the communication channel at the centralized device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said shared data corresponds to data displayed on a portion of a remote user'"'"'s computer screen at one of the plurality of user devices.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the centralized device comprises a server comprising a directory of communication channels and the user devices associated with the communication channels.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication channel corresponds to a workspace and further comprising transmitting a list of workspaces to said plurality of user devices.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a table at the centralized device comprising a list of said plurality of user devices and active communication channels for each of the user devices.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for processing shared data received at a centralized device operable to communicate with a plurality of user devices, associating said shared data with a communication channel, at least one of said plurality of user devices active on the communication channel, and transmitting said shared data to the communication channel for distribution to the active user device and displaying in a tile on the active user device in real-time; and

memory for storing a list of the user devices and active communication channels for each of the user devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said tile is movable and sizable on the user device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said shared data comprises remote user input.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said tile comprises an identifier associated with a source of said shared data.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said shared data comprises remote user input in the form of keyboard input.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said tile comprises a chat window.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said shared data corresponds to data displayed on a portion of a remote user'"'"'s computer screen at one of the plurality of user devices.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus comprises a server comprising a directory of communication channels and the user devices associated with the communication channels.

20. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media for execution and when executed operable to:

process shared data received at a centralized device in communication with a plurality of user devices;

associate said shared data with a communication channel, at least one of said plurality of user devices active on the communication channel; and

transmit said shared data to the communication channel for distribution to the active user device and display in a tile on the active user device in real-time.