Approach for accessing third-party content collaboration services on interactive whiteboard appliances using a wrapper application program interface

• US 10,298,635 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Malatesha, Rathnakara, Wong, Lana, Kitada, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US15/384,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 715202, 715204, 715743, 715744, 719329, 726 9
• 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 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• 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 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

An approach for managing collaboration on IWBs allows users of different third-party collaboration services to participate in collaboration meetings on IWBs. The approach allows the users to use collaboration functionality provided by IWBs, such as annotation, and to communicate with each other, even though the users are using different third party collaboration services. The approach uses a collaboration manager that provides a “single wrapper” application program interface (API) and centralized management of collaboration meetings, including license key and token management, cross-license collaboration, user management and meeting management. The collaboration manager acts as a mediation layer that handles the APIs of different third-party collaboration services and allows users using heterogeneous collaboration clients to participate in collaboration meetings.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, and

one or more memories storing instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause a management service to;

receive, from an application executing on an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) appliance, a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the application executing on the IWB appliance and the apparatus, wherein the first request conforms to a common application program interface (API) that is supported by the management service and not supported by the first collaboration service,

generate, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the apparatus, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API supported by the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the apparatus, wherein the second request satisfies requirements of the API supported by the first collaboration service and not the common API supported by the management service, and wherein the application executing on the IWB appliance does not support the API supported by the first collaboration service; and

cause the second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service to be transmitted to the first collaboration service for processing.

2. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein generating, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the apparatus, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API of the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the apparatus includes extracting one or more of commands, data, or arguments from the a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service.

3. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the API data managed by the management service defines a data protocol or format for the API of the first collaboration service,

the second request generated by the management service conforms to the data protocol or data format defined by the API data managed by the management service for the API of the first collaboration service.

4. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the API data management by the management service defines requirements for a plurality of versions of the API of the first collaboration service,

the first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service does not specify a version of the API of the first collaboration service,

the management service determines a default or preferred version of the API of the first collaboration service,

the management service generates the second request based upon requirements defined for the default or preferred version of the API of the first collaboration service.

5. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service specifies a particular version of the API for the first collaboration service,

the API data managed by the management service defines requirements for the particular version of the API of the first collaboration service, and

the management service generates the second request based upon the requirements defined by the API data managed by the management service for the particular version of the API for the first collaboration service.

6. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the application executing on the IWB is one or more of a stand-alone process, a plug-in module, a widget, or a library.

7. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the application executing on the IWB provides a common graphical user interface for accessing a plurality of electronic meeting services provided by a plurality of content collaboration services that includes the first collaboration service.

8. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first collaboration service executing on the IWB is an electronic meeting service.

9. The Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first request to perform a content collaboration function on the first collaboration service includes one or more of a command to login, a command to create a meeting, a command to join a meeting, or a request for meeting status.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

a management service executing on one or more computing devices to;

receive, from an application executing on an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) appliance, a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the application executing on the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, wherein the first request conforms to a common application program interface (API) that is supported by the management service and not supported by the first collaboration service,

generate, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API supported by the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, wherein the second request satisfies requirements of the API supported by the first collaboration service and not the common API supported by the management service, and wherein the application executing on the IWB appliance does not support the API supported by the first collaboration service; and

cause the second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service to be transmitted to the first collaboration service for processing.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein generating, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API of the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices includes extracting one or more of commands, data, or arguments from the a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the API data managed by the management service defines a data protocol or format for the API of the first collaboration service,

the second request generated by the management service conforms to the data protocol or data format defined by the API data managed by the management service for the API of the first collaboration service.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the API data management by the management service defines requirements for a plurality of versions of the API of the first collaboration service,

the first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service does not specify a version of the API of the first collaboration service,

the management service determines a default or preferred version of the API of the first collaboration service,

the management service generates the second request based upon requirements defined for the default or preferred version of the API of the first collaboration service.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service specifies a particular version of the API for the first collaboration service,

the API data managed by the management service defines requirements for the particular version of the API of the first collaboration service, and

the management service generates the second request based upon the requirements defined by the API data managed by the management service for the particular version of the API for the first collaboration service.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the application executing on the IWB is one or more of a stand-alone process, a plug-in module, a widget, or a library.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the application executing on the IWB provides a common graphical user interface for accessing a plurality of electronic meeting services provided by a plurality of content collaboration services that includes the first collaboration service.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the first collaboration service executing on the IWB is an electronic meeting service.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the first request to perform a content collaboration function on the first collaboration service includes one or more of a command to login, a command to create a meeting, a command to join a meeting, or a request for meeting status.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a management service executing on one or more computing devices;

receiving, from an application executing on an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) appliance, a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the application executing on the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, wherein the first request conforms to a common application program interface (API) that is supported by the management service and not supported by the first collaboration service,

generating, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API supported by the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, wherein the second request satisfies requirements of the API supported by the first collaboration service and not the common API supported by the management service, and wherein the application executing on the IWB appliance does not support the API supported by the first collaboration service; and

causing the second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service to be transmitted to the first collaboration service for processing.

20. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 19, wherein generating, based upon the first request to perform a collaboration function on a first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices, and API data managed by the management service that defines requirements of an API of the first collaboration service, a second request to perform the content collaboration function on the first collaboration service that is external to both the IWB appliance and the one or more computing devices includes extracting one or more of commands, data, or arguments from the a first request to perform a content collaboration function on a first collaboration service.