Methods and apparatus for providing a live history in a multimedia collaboration session

• US 8,533,268 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intercall Incorporated (West Corporation)
• Inventors: Vernon, Todd, Jones, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US10/776,462
• Time in Patent Office: 3,500 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/566 relating to a participants right to speak arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A multimedia collaboration system comprises client devices that include user interfaces that comprise private workspaces that can be used to display a live history of a multimedia collaboration session. The private workspaces can be configured to display information representative of media elements that can be shared within the multimedia collaboration session, but that are only viewable to a participant associated with a particular client device. The private workspaces can be used to preview information before publishing it to other participants or to view a live history of the multimedia collaboration session.

Claims

1. A multimedia collaboration system comprising:

a client device that enables a participant to participate in a collaboration session, the client device including a user interface comprising a live history section associated with a hypertext link that includes information corresponding to materials presented in the collaboration session; and

a sync to presenter button that;

enables the participant to jump to the materials that are currently presented if the participant has fallen behind on the collaboration session, and

to automatically take the participant to a feature that last had something presented into it, wherein the participant can view the feature privately on a private portion of the user interface so as to get current on the collaboration session, wherein the hypertext link corresponds to or links the viewer to at least one of;

previously viewed materials or non-previously viewed materials in the collaboration session which have been previously presented during the collaboration session,

wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises a series of iconic representations, and each iconic representation is a visual image of a presentation element that has been presented,

wherein the multimedia collaboration system enables all participants in the collaboration session to have equal privilege levels regarding all controllable aspects of the session,

wherein the controllable aspects including at least a multiple presentation control that allows multiple presentations to be presented by the plurality of participants at the same time.

2. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises a series of iconic representations.

3. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein the live history section scrolls through the information displayed.

4. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 3, wherein the movement of the information displayed in the live history section can be independently adjusted by the participant.

5. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein a particular subset of the information displayed in the live history section can be independently selected by the participant.

6. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 2, wherein at least one iconic representation is associated with a link corresponding to material stored on the client device.

7. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 6, wherein the material stored on the client device is distributed and stored on the client device at the time the collaborative session is initiated.

8. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the background of the live history section is a particular color selected to identify the live history section.

9. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises a plurality of representative elements.

10. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 9, wherein the representative elements can represent any type of material used in a collaborative communication session.

11. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 1, wherein the live history section can be resized.

12. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 11, wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises iconic representations when the live history section is not full size, and wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises full size representations when the live history section is full size.

13. A multimedia collaboration system comprising:

a client device that enables a participant to participate in a collaboration session, the client device including a user interface comprising a private workspace, associated with a hypertext link, in which material that is only viewable by a participant associated with the client device is displayed; and

a sync to presenter button that

enables the participant to jump to the materials that are currently presented if the participant has fallen behind on the collaboration session, and

to automatically take the participant to a feature that last had something presented into it, wherein the participant can view the feature privately on a private portion of the user interface so as to get current on the collaboration session, wherein the hypertext link corresponds to or links the viewer to at least one of;

previously viewed materials or non-previously viewed materials in the collaboration session which have been previously presented during the collaboration session,

wherein the client device further comprises a live history section associated with a hypertext link that includes information corresponding to materials presented in the collaboration session,

wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises a series of iconic representations, and each iconic representation is a visual image of a presentation element that has been presented,

wherein the multimedia collaboration system enables all participants in the collaboration session to have equal privilege levels regarding all controllable aspects of the session,

wherein the controllable aspects including at least a multiple presentation control that allows multiple presentations to be presented by the plurality of participants at the same time.

14. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 13, wherein the information in the private workspace can be selected for publication to other participants in the collaborative communication session.

15. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 14, wherein the user interface further comprises a public workspace, and wherein information selected for publication appears in the public workspace.

16. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 13, wherein the private workspace can be used to display a live history.

17. The multimedia system of claim 16, wherein the live history section includes information corresponding to materials presented in the collaboration session.

18. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 17, wherein the information displayed in the live history section comprises a series of iconic representations.

19. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 18, wherein the live history section scrolls through the information displayed.

20. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 19, wherein the movement of the information displayed in the live history section can be independently adjusted by the participant.

21. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 18, wherein a particular subset of the information displayed in the live history section can be independently selected by the participant.

22. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 18, wherein at least one iconic representation is associated with a link corresponding to material stored on the client device.

23. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 22, wherein the material stored on the client device is distributed and stored on the client device at the time the collaborative session is initiated.

24. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 17, wherein the background of the private workspace comprises a particular color selected to identify the private workspace.

25. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 17, wherein the information displayed in the private workspace comprises a plurality of representative elements.

26. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 25, wherein the representative elements can represent any type of material used in a collaborative communication session.

27. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 17, wherein the private workspace can be resized.

28. The multimedia collaboration system of claim 27, wherein the information displayed in the private workspace comprises iconic representations when the private workspace is not full size, and wherein the information displayed in the private workspace comprises full size representations when the private workspace is full size.