System and method for sharing information via a virtual shared area in a communication network
OwnerSridhar V. Iyerinventor
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Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for information sharing via a virtual shared area in a communication network. The system includes a virtual shared area having a unique electronic identifier, the shared area being controlled by an owner for permitting access to information in the shared area by multiple users. The users are allowed to connect to the shared area and transfer at least a portion of the information to a user device. The owner initiates a control-sharing of the information and shares with all the users if the users maintain a communication link with the virtual shared area. Multiple users can control the shared area in a predetermined manner as well.
Claims23
A method for sharing a virtual area among a plurality of users, the method comprising:
- admitting a first user of the virtual area to take control of the virtual area for sharing a first subject information;
- admitting a second user to the virtual area, the second user having a desire to control the virtual area for sharing a second subject information;
- negotiating the control of the virtual area between the first and the second users;
- and
- control-sharing either the first or the second subject information in the virtual area according to the negotiation,
- wherein the control of the virtual area is exclusively shared by the first and second users, and the first or second subject information is broadcast in the virtual area.
A method for sharing a virtual area among a plurality of users for performing at least one multi-media item, the method comprising:
- admitting a first user to be an owner of the virtual area to control-share a first multi-media item;
- admitting a second user to the virtual area, the second user having a desire to control-share a second multi-media item;
- negotiating a control of the virtual area between the first and the second users;
- and
- adjusting the control of the virtual area according to a negotiation result so that either the first or the second user can become the owner of the virtual area and control-share the corresponding first or second multi-media item,
- wherein the users admitted to the virtual area who are not the owner can form a passive audience to share the control-shared multi-media item.
A method for sharing information by multiple users in a virtual area in a communications network, the method comprising:
- providing a virtual shared area having a unique electronic identifier, the shared area being controlled by an owner for permitting access to subject information in the shared area;
- allowing a user to connect to the shared area through a user device and transfer at least a part of the subject information to the user device;
- encoding, in the user device, the unique electronic identifier of the virtual area;
- maintaining, by the user device, the connection to the shared area for keeping the transfer of the subject information;
- storing, in a storage area in the user device, the transferred subject information;
- and
- if the user device attempts to access the stored subject information, then:
- verifying the connection to the share area;
- verifying the owner information;
- and
- verifying that the owner is currently control-sharing the stored subject information.
A method for sharing multi-media information in a virtual studio on the Internet, the virtual studio having a plurality of virtual rooms, the method comprising:
- recognizing an owner of a virtual room in the virtual studio;
- inviting a plurality of visitors to the virtual room by the owner;
- and
- control-sharing, by the owner, the multi-media information in the virtual room to be shared by the visitors simultaneously if a communication link is maintained between the visitors and the virtual room.
The method of 18 wherein the multi-media information is fully downloaded to display devices of the visitors before the control-sharing, wherein such downloaded information is not accessible by any visitor until a verification is made to confirm that the owner is control-sharing the multi-media information and the communication link is maintained between the virtual room and the visitor.
The method of 18 further comprising posting a control-sharing schedule by the owner to all the visitors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.