Method and Apparatus For Information exchange Over a Web Based Environment

A method, implemented by a server device for controlling online meeting, comprising:

• registering, for a group meeting. at least a first user from a first device and a second user from a second device, including provisioning information of internet protocol (IP) address and resources associated with each of the first and second devices;
• storing the registered information into a workspace;
• facilitating a user interface (“UI”) to comprise multiple sections for an online meeting, including a first section for accessing streaming video, and a second section comprising a subsection for inputting and posting message and a subsection for displaying posted messages;
• causing displaying the UI on the first device and
• receiving a first request for sharing a video from the first device when the first user through the UI submit the request;
• identifying accessibility of the first request and storing information, but not content, of the video into the workspace according to the accessibility identified;
• and
• causing to display, via a first network link, the stored information of the video onto the UI on the second device to facilitate the second user thereof directly access the contents of the video from the first device through a second network link independent of the server.

A control server comprising:

• at least one hardware processor and one computer-readable storage device comprising program instructions, that when executed by the hardware processor, cause the control server to:
• register, for a first group meeting. at least a first user from a first device and a second user from a second device, including provisioning information of internet protocol (IP) address and resources associated with each of the first and second devices;
• facilitate a user interface (“UI”) to comprise multiple section for an online meeting, including a first section for accessing streaming video, and a second section comprising a subsection for inputting and posting message and a subsection for displaying posted messages;
• cause displaying the UI on the first device and receive a first request for sharing a video from the first device when the first user through the UI submit the request;
• identify accessibility of the first request and store information, but not content, of the video into a workspace according to the accessibility identified;
• and
• cause to display, via a first network link, the stored information of the video onto the UI on the second device to facilitate the second user thereof directly access the contents of the video from the first device through a second network link independent of the server;
• wherein the control server is configured to communicate with each of user devices through the first network link and permitting communication between each of the user devices, including between the first and second devices, through the second network link;
• wherein the control server assigns each registered user a private workspace and the group meeting a group workspace, where each workspace comprises with a message area, a file area, a network and storage information area, where the group workspace includes a user area;
• wherein the control server stores information related to each of the registered first and second users into the user area in the group workspace, and stores the information associated with each of the first and second user devices, including provisioned IP address, into the network area in the group workspace.
• wherein the first section in the UI is encoded with a link being used as an entry point for accessing a video camera application located on the first device;
• wherein the control server identifies the accessibility through parsing the first request to determine original user, operation of sharing or stop sharing, source location of the video camera application, target user, and security of permitting or denying access of users, and workspaces;
• and
• wherein the control server stores the video information, including information of the video camera application, into the file area of the group workspace without storing contents of the video when receiving the first request for sharing the video;
• and deletes the information of the video from the file area of the group workspace when receives a second request from the first device for stop sharing the video;
• wherein the control server permits a live streaming video or a video file generated by the video camera application to be delivered from the first device directly to the UI on the second device;
• wherein the control server further registers a second group online meeting with at least a third user from a third device and a fourth user from a fourth device and facilitating the second group online meeting the same as facilitating the first group online meeting.