Presenter view control system and method

• US 20080091778A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nelson, Steve, Rasmussen, Jamie C., Ivashin, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method for providing partial layout synchronization in a teleconferencing system is described. In the method, a conference client application enters a presenter participant mode and accepts a layout modification from a local user. The layout modification alters a selection or arrangement of conference components in a user interface. The conference client determines whether the layout modification is a significant layout modification or an insignificant layout modification and transmits a command to a conference server containing a representation of the layout modification only when the layout modification is a significant layout modification.

Claims

1. A method for enabling, in a teleconferencing system, partial layout synchronization between a user interface layout of a first conference client and a user interface layout of a second conference client, the method comprising:

entering a presenter mode in a conference client application running on the first conference client;

receiving a layout modification from a local user of the conference client application, the layout modification altering a selection or arrangement of conference components in a user interface;

determining whether the layout modification is a significant layout modification or an insignificant layout modification; and

transmitting a command for receipt by a conference server only when the layout modification is a significant layout modification, the command containing a representation of the layout modification usable by the second conference client in the non-presenter mode to implement the layout modification in a user interface provided by the second conference client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layout modification comprises at least one of an addition of a conference component to the user interface, a removal of a conference component from the user interface, a swap of two conference components so that each of the two conference components take a size and position of another of the two conference components in the user interface, or a relocating or resizing of one or more conference components in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises identifying a primary conference component prior to the layout modification and a primary conference component after the layout modification, and determining that the layout modification is a significant layout modification when the primary conference component prior to the layout modification is different from the primary conference component after the layout modification, and determining that the layout modification is an insignificant layout modification when the primary conference component prior to the layout modification is the same as the primary conference component after the layout modification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the primary conference component is identified as a conference component taking up more space in the user interface than any other conference component.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the primary conference component is identified based on its position in the layout of the user interface.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the primary conference component is identified based on an operational mode or view provided by the conference client.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new layout selection from the local user, the layout selection being a predefined user interface layout or a custom-defined user interface layout, and

transmitting a representation of the layout selection to the conference server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new layout selection is accepted by detecting that the local user has interacted with a layout selection button in a control bar.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the control bar contains a graphical indication that the local user is a presenter-participant.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the representation of the layout selection is contained in a string, the string defining a cell for each displayed component, each cell being defined in the string as a left, right, top, or bottom portion of a larger region in which the cell is contained, the cell occupying a defined fraction of space of the larger region, the layout selection defining a layout of two or more cells.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein the conference client is configured to identify the primary conference component based on its position in the layout of the user interface.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the conference client is configured to identify the primary conference component based on an operational mode or view provided by the conference client.

11. A teleconferencing system enabling partial layout synchronization between a user interface layout of a conference client and a user interface layout of another conference client, the system comprising:

a conference server comprising a general purpose computer system;

a plurality of conference clients, each conference client being in communication with the conference server over a network connection, the conference server effectuating communication between and among the plurality of conference clients;

the conference server being configured to designate one conference participant attending a teleconference using the teleconferencing system as a presenter-participant, the presenter-participant being a local user of one conference client of the plurality of conference clients, the one conference client being configured to enter a presenter mode in response to the designation;

the one conference client being further configured to accept a layout modification from the local user, the layout modification altering a selection or arrangement of conference components in a user interface; and

the one conference client, when in the presenter mode, being further configured to determine whether the layout modification is a significant layout modification or an insignificant layout modification; and

transmit a command to the conference server only when the layout modification is a significant layout modification, the command containing a representation of the layout modification usable by an other of the plurality of conference clients to implement the layout modification in a user interface provided by the other of the plurality of conference clients, the conference server being configured to broadcast the command to the other of the plurality of conference clients.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the layout modification comprises at least one of an addition of a conference component to the user interface, a removal of a conference component from the user interface, a swap of two conference components so that each of the two conference components take a size and position of another of the two conference components in the user interface, or a resizing of a conference component in the user interface.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the conference client is configured to determine whether the layout modification is significant by identifying a primary conference component prior to the layout modification and a primary conference component after the layout modification, and determining that the layout modification is a significant layout modification when the primary conference component prior to the layout modification is different from the primary conference component after the layout modification, and determining that the layout modification is an insignificant layout modification when the primary conference component prior to the layout modification is the same as the primary conference component after the layout modification.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the conference client is configured to identify the primary conference component by identifying a conference component that takes up more space in the user interface than any other conference component.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the conference client is further configured to accept a new layout selection of a predefined user interface layout from the local user and transmit a representation of the layout selection to the conference server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the conference client is configured to detect the new layout selection by detecting that the local user has interacted with a layout selection button in a control bar.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control bar contains a graphical indication that the local user is a presenter-participant.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the representation of the layout selection is contained in a string, the string defining a cell for each displayed component, each cell being defined in the string as a left, right, top, or bottom portion of a larger region in which the cell is contained, the cell occupying a defined fraction of space of the larger region.

21. A method for configuring a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving a representation of a layout for the user interface; and

constructing the user interface in a display area from the representation, wherein the representation of the layout selection is contained in a string, the string defining a cell for each displayed component, each cell being defined in the string as a left, right, top, or bottom portion of a larger region in which the cell is contained, the cell occupying a defined fraction of space of the larger region.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the larger region is one of the display area or is recursively defined as a left, right, top, or bottom portion of a second larger region in which the larger region is contained, the larger region occupying a defined fraction of the second larger region.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the string is made up of at least one substring, each substring dividing a region beginning with the display area either horizontally or vertically, and assigning each of two portions created by the division either a component, or a new substring that further divides the portion;

wherein each substring includes at least a character identifying whether the display area is divided horizontally or vertically.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each substring is enclosed in a matched pair of parentheses.