Optimal page sharing in a collaborative environment

• US 20060218498A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hind, John R., Li, Yongcheng, Henderson, Roderick C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for a collaborative system, method and apparatus configured for optimal page sharing. The system of the invention can include a collaborative application disposed in a collaborative peer and configured for communicative coupling to other collaborative peers. The system can further include a compressor/decompressor disposed in the collaborative peer. The compressor/decompressor can include logic programmed to pre-process a shared page for the collaborative application by compressing the shared page before transmitting the shared page to the other collaborative peers.

Claims

1. A collaborative system configured for optimal page sharing, the system comprising:

a collaborative application disposed in a collaborative peer and configured to be communicatively coupled to other collaborative peers; and

,

a compressor/decompressor disposed in said collaborative peer, said compressor/decompressor having logic programmed to pre-process a shared page for said collaborative application by compressing said page before transmitting said shared page to said other collaborative peers.

2. The collaborative system of claim 1, wherein said compressor/decompressor has logic programmed to pre-process shared pages for said collaborative application by choosing a compression technique from among multiple compression techniques according to content in said shared pages and compressing said shared pages utilizing said chosen compression technique before transmitting said shared pages to said other collaborative peers.

3. The collaborative system of claim 1, wherein said multiple compression techniques comprise delta compression, fractal compression and substitutional compression.

4. The collaborative system of claim 1, wherein said collaborative application comprises a whiteboard application.

5. The collaborative system of claim 1, wherein said collaborative application comprises a shared application.

6. A method for optimal image sharing in a collaborative environment, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a page in a shared application for transmission to a group of collaborative peers; and

,

prior to transmitting said selected page to said collaborative peers, compressing said selected page.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

selecting a particular compression technique from among a selection of compression techniques deemed optimal for content disposed in said selected page; and

,

compressing said selected page using said particular compression technique.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

partitioning said selected page into a set of regions;

for each of said regions, selecting a particular compression technique from among a selection of compression techniques deemed optimal for content disposed in a corresponding region; and

,

compressing said selected region using said particular compression technique.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

partitioning said selected page into a set of regions; and

compressing said at least one of said regions using a differential compression technique.

10. A method for optimal page sharing in a collaborative environment, the method comprising the steps of:

performing an off-line determination of a likely order of presentation for pages in a presentation;

while off-line, computing page-to-page differences based upon a delta compression scheme according to said determined likely order;

establishing a communicative linkage with at least one peer in the collaborative environment; and

,

transmitting said page-to-page differences of said presentation to said at least one peer according to said determined likely order.

11. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for optimal page sharing in a collaborative environment, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform the steps of:

selecting a page in a shared application for transmission to a group of collaborative peers; and

,

prior to transmitting said selected page to said collaborative peers, compressing said selected page.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 11, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

selecting a particular compression technique from among a selection of compression techniques deemed optimal for content disposed in said selected page; and

,

compressing said selected page using said particular compression technique.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 11, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

partitioning said selected page into a set of regions;

for each of said regions, selecting a particular compression technique from among a selection of compression techniques deemed optimal for content disposed in a corresponding region; and

,

compressing said selected region using said particular compression technique.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 11, wherein said compressing step comprises the steps of:

partitioning said selected page into a set of regions; and

compressing said at least one of said regions using a differential compression technique.

15. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for optimal image sharing in a collaborative environment, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform the steps of:

performing an off-line determination of a likely order of presentation for pages in a presentation;

while off-line, computing page-to-page differences based upon a delta compression scheme according to said determined likely order;

establishing a communicative linkage with at least one peer in the collaborative environment; and

,

transmitting said page-to-page differences of said presentation to said at least one peer according to said determined likely order.