Showing interactions as they occur on a whiteboard

• US 9,489,114 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Coplen, C. Joe, Landis, David, Talbot, Keri, Caldwell, Gary, Fish, Nathan, Faulkner, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas, Claire X
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONE, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US13/925,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20140380193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 345/2.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• 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

Real-time interactions made by a client on a whiteboard are shown on remote client(s) currently viewing the whiteboard. The real-time interactions that are shown on the remote clients can include a variety of different interactions. For example, the location(s) of where a remote client is touching the whiteboard or interacting with the whiteboard using a stylus may be viewed. A current inking stroke of a remote user may also be viewed as it is occurring. Interactions on the whiteboard may be shown differently depending on the remote user performing the interaction. The whiteboard may also show a location on the whiteboard where each of the remote users are currently viewing. A user may also track the actions of another user. When a change is committed to the whiteboard, the remote clients update the display to reflect the committed state.

Claims

1. A method for showing interactions on a whiteboard, comprising:

displaying a whiteboard that is shareable on a plurality of remote clients and that is configured to display different types of content on the whiteboard;

in response to an interaction currently occurring on the whiteboard of a first remote client, updating a display of the whiteboard on a second remote client over a real-time communication channel directly between the first remote client and the second remote client to display an approximation of the interaction currently occurring on the whiteboard of the first remote client;

in response to updating the display of the whiteboard on the second remote client to display the approximation, displaying the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client different from the interaction that is displayed on the whiteboard of the first remote client while the interaction is occurring; and

updating the display of the approximation, the approximation having been received over the real-time communication channel, on the whiteboard of the second remote client over a persistence channel by submitting a change associated with the interaction to a server and committing the change to a database, and in response to committing the change to the database, changing the display of the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client to display the interaction, wherein the interaction is then displayed the same on both the the first remote client and the second remote client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the display of the whiteboard to display the currently occurring interaction with the whiteboard comprises displaying a location of a touch interaction with the whiteboard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the display of the whiteboard to display the currently occurring interaction with the whiteboard comprises displaying an inking interaction with the whiteboard while the inking is occurring.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a current location of an input device used to make the inking as the inking occurs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a view indicator on the whiteboard that identifies a portion of the whiteboard currently being viewed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a remote user on the whiteboard when one of the remote clients enters the whiteboard.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving real-time interaction information while the interaction is occurring and receiving a change notification in response to a change that is committed to the whiteboard.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the display of the whiteboard to display the currently occurring interaction with the whiteboard comprises displaying a currently occurring inking stroke in a different color from a color used to display the committed inking stroke.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the currently occurring interaction, comprises:

a location where a touch is detected on the whiteboard by one of the remote clients;

a location where a stylus is pointing on the whiteboard by one of the remote clients;

a change to a whiteboard viewport; and

an identifier of an object on the whiteboard being touched.

10. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for showing interactions on a whiteboard, comprising:

displaying a whiteboard that is shareable on a plurality of remote clients and that is configured to display different types of content on the whiteboard;

in response to an interaction currently occurring on the whiteboard of a first remote client, updating a display of the whiteboard on a second remote client over a real-time communication channel directly between the first remote client and the second remote client to display an approximation of the interaction currently occurring on the whiteboard of the first remote client;

in response to updating the display of the whiteboard on the second remote client to display the approximation, displaying the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client different from the interaction that is displayed on the whiteboard of the first remote client while the interaction is occurring; and

updating the display of the approximation, the approximation having been received over the real-time communication channel, on the whiteboard of the second remote client over a persistence channel by submitting a change associated with the interaction to a server and committing the change to a database, and in response to committing the change to the database, changing the display of the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client to display the interaction, wherein the interaction is then displayed the same on both the first and second remote clients.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein updating the display of the whiteboard to display the currently occurring interaction with the whiteboard comprises displaying a location of a touch interaction with the whiteboard made from one of the first and second remote clients.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying a user indicator on the whiteboard that identifies a portion of the whiteboard currently being viewed by one of the first and second remote clients.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising identifying a remote user on the whiteboard when one of the first and second remote clients enters the whiteboard and displaying an indication when the remote user leaves the whiteboard.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising receiving real-time interactions from one of the first and second remote clients as they occur and receiving a change notification in response to a change that is committed to the whiteboard.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein updating the display of the whiteboard to display the currently occurring interaction with the whiteboard comprises displaying a currently occurring inking stroke in a different color from a color used to display the committed inking stroke.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the currently occurring interaction, comprises:

a location where a touch is detected on the whiteboard by one of the first and second remote clients;

a location where a stylus is pointing on the whiteboard by one of the first and second remote clients;

a change to a whiteboard viewport; and

an identifier of an object on the whiteboard being touched.

17. A system for showing interactions on a whiteboard, comprising:

a processor and memory;

an operating environment executing using the processor;

a whiteboard that is shared between remote clients that is configured to display different types of content on the whiteboard; and

a whiteboard manager that is configured to perform actions comprising;

displaying the whiteboard on the remote clients;

receiving in real-time an interaction from a first remote client on the whiteboard including receiving an inking interaction while the inking is occurring;

in response to the inking interaction occurring in real-time on the whiteboard of the first remote client, updating a display of the whiteboard on a second remote client to display an approximation of the inking interaction occurring in real-time on the whiteboard of the first remote client;

in response to updating the display of the whiteboard on the second remote client to display the approximation, displaying the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client different from the interaction that is displayed on the whiteboard of the first remote client while the interaction is occurring; and

updating the display of the approximation of the inking interaction, previously received in real-time, on the whiteboard of the second remote client over a persistence channel by submitting a change to a server, and in response changing the display of the approximation on the whiteboard of the second remote client to display the inking interaction, wherein the inking interaction is then displayed the same on both the first and second remote clients.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein updating a display of the whiteboard on the second remote client to display the interaction comprises displaying a location of a touch interaction with the whiteboard.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein updating a display of the whiteboard on the second remote client to display the interaction comprises displaying a currently occurring inking stroke in a different color from a color used to display the committed inking stroke.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the currently occurring interaction, comprises:

a location where a touch is detected on the whiteboard;

a location where a stylus is pointing on the whiteboard; and

a change to a whiteboard viewport.