Collaboration system including a spatial event map

A system comprising:

• a server-side network node, including memory storing a log of events, the log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, the entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target relating to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• the server-side network node including:
• logic to establish links to a plurality of active client-side network nodes;
• logic to receive messages identifying events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets having locations in the workspace;
• logic to add events to the log in response to said messages;
• and
• logic to distribute messages relating to events identified in messages received from a particular client-side network node to other active client-side network nodes,
• wherein the events, identified in the messages received from the particular client-side network node, include (i) a first class of event classified as history events to be stored in the log and distributed to other client-side network nodes, and (ii) a second class of event classified as ephemeral events to be distributed to other client-side network nodes but not stored in the log,
• wherein the received messages that identify the events (i) classified as the ephemeral events and (ii) classified as the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein the logic to distribute messages further distributes messages relating to events classified as the ephemeral events and distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause client-side network nodes concurrently hosting collaborative displays of the workspace to (i) receive the ephemeral events and the one or more history events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein the logic to distribute messages further distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as the one or more history events to cause a client-side network node, subsequent to the client-side network nodes that concurrently hosted the collaborative displays receiving the ephemeral events and displaying the same graphical target, to (i) receive the one or more history events without receiving the ephemeral events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.

A system comprising:

• a client-side network node including a display having a physical display space, a user input device, a processor and a communication port, the client-side network node being configured with logic:
• to establish a link to a server-side network node;
• to retrieve from the server-side network node at least part of a spatial event log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, the entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target relating to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• and
• to accept input data from the user input device creating events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets displayed within a displayable area in the physical display space, and to send messages based upon the events to the server-side network node,
• wherein the events identified in the at least part of the spatial event log retrieved from the server-side network node and events included in messages received from the server-side network node include (i) a first class of event designated as history events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes and to be added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node, and (ii) a second class of event designated as ephemeral events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes but not added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node,
• wherein the retrieved log and the received messages that identify the events classified as (i) the ephemeral events and (ii) the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein, during an active collaboration with another client-side network node to concurrently participate in a collaborative display of the workspace, the retrieved log and the received messages include messages relating to the events classified as the ephemeral events and include one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein, subsequent to the active collaboration with the other client-side network node, the retrieved log and the received messages include the one or more history events without the ephemeral events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.

A method comprising:

• storing in a server-side network node, a log of events, the log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, the entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target related to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• establishing links to a plurality of active client-side network nodes;
• receiving messages on the established links identifying events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets having locations in the workspace;
• adding events to the log in response to said messages;
• and
• distributing messages on the established links relating to events identified in messages received from a particular client-side network node to other active client-side network nodes,
• wherein the events, identified in the received messages, include (i) a first class of event classified as history events to be stored in the log and distributed to other client-side network nodes, and (ii) a second class of event classified as ephemeral events to be distributed to other client-side network nodes but not stored in the log,
• wherein the received messages that identify the events (i) classified as the ephemeral events and (ii) classified as the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein the distributing of the messages further distributes messages relating to events classified as the ephemeral events and distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause client-side network nodes concurrently hosting collaborative displays of the workspace to (i) receive the ephemeral events and the one or more history events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein the distributing of the messages further distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as the one or more history events to cause a client-side network node, subsequent to the client-side network nodes that concurrently hosted the collaborative displays receiving the ephemeral events and displaying the same graphical target, to (i) receive the one or more history events without receiving the ephemeral events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.

A method comprising:

• establishing a link from a client-side network node to a server-side network node;
• retrieving at the client-side network node from the server-side network node at least part of a spatial event log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, the entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target related to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• accepting input data from a user input device at the client-side network node creating events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets displayed within a displayable area in the physical display space;
• and
• sending messages based upon the events on the established link to the server-side network node,
• wherein the events identified in the at least part of the spatial event log retrieved from the server-side network node and events included in messages received from the server-side network node include (i) a first class of event designated as history events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes and to be added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node, and (ii) a second class of event designated as ephemeral events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes but not added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node,
• wherein the retrieved log and the received messages that identify the events classified as the ephemeral events and the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein, during an active collaboration with another client-side network node to concurrently participate in a collaborative display of the workspace, the retrieved log and the received messages include messages relating to the events classified as the ephemeral events and include one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein, subsequent to the active collaboration with the other client-side network node, the retrieved log and the received messages include the one or more history events without the ephemeral events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.

A product comprising:

• non-transitory computer readable memory;
• a machine readable data structure stored in the memory including a log of events, the log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, the entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target relating to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• executable instructions for establishing links to a plurality of active client-side network nodes;
• and
• executable instructions for:
• receiving messages on the established links identifying events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets having locations in the workspace;
• adding events to the log in response to said messages;
• and
• distributing messages on the established links relating to events identified in messages received from a particular client-side network node to other active client-side network nodes,
• wherein the events, identified in the messages received from the particular client-side network node, include (i) a first class of event classified as history events to be stored in the log and distributed to other client-side network nodes, and (ii) a second class of event classified as ephemeral events to be distributed to other client-side network nodes but not stored in the log,
• wherein the received messages that identify the events (i) classified as the ephemeral events and (ii) classified as the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein the distributing of the messages further distributes messages relating to events classified as the ephemeral events and distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause client-side network nodes concurrently hosting collaborative displays of the workspace to (i) receive the ephemeral events and the one or more history events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein the distributing of the messages distributes one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as the one or more history events to cause a client-side network node, subsequent to the client-side network nodes that concurrently hosted the collaborative displays receiving the ephemeral events and displaying the same graphical target, to (i) receive the one or more history events without receiving the ephemeral events and (ii) display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.

A product comprising:

• non-transitory computer readable memory;
• executable instructions for establishing a link from a client-side network node to a server-side network node;
• executable instructions for retrieving at the client-side network node from the server-side network node at least part of a spatial event log including entries to identify events, in a workspace comprising locations having virtual coordinates, relating to graphical targets having locations in the workspace, entries in the log including (i) a location in the workspace of the graphical target relating to an event and (ii) a time of the event;
• executable instructions for accepting input data from a user input device at the client-side network node creating events relating to modification and creation of graphical targets displayed within a displayable area in the physical display space;
• and
• executable instructions for sending messages based upon the events on the established link to the server-side network node,
• wherein the events identified in the at least part of the spatial event log retrieved from the server-side network node and events included in messages received from the server-side network node include (ii) a first class of event designated as history events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes and to be added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node, and (ii) a second class of event designated as ephemeral events to be distributed among other client-side network nodes but not added to the spatial event log in the server-side network node,
• wherein the retrieved log and the received messages that identify the events classified as the ephemeral events and the history events are related to the same graphical target,
• wherein, during an active collaboration with another client-side network node to concurrently participate in a collaborative display of the workspace, the retrieved log and the received messages include messages relating to the events classified as the ephemeral events and include one or more messages relating to one or more events classified as one or more history events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events and the one or more history events, and
• wherein, subsequent to the active collaboration with the other client-side network node, the retrieved log and the received messages include the one or more history events without the ephemeral events to cause the client-side network node to display the same graphical target related to the one or more history events without displaying the same graphical target related to the ephemeral events.