Method and apparatus for interactive computer conferencing

A method for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, comprising the steps of:

• receiving and interpreting local user inputs at said local user terminal and producing local user action outputs in response thereto;
• encoding said local user action outputs into packets of encoded commands;
• sending said encoded commands from said local user terminal to at least one remote user terminal and to said local user terminal;
• decoding said encoded commands at said local and remote user terminals;
• and
• executing equivalent operations on data stored at said respective local and remote user terminals in response to said decoded commands.

An apparatus for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals having a plurality of common application modules, said apparatus comprising:

• means at said local user terminal for receiving and interpreting local user inputs and for producing local user action outputs;
• means at said local user terminal for responding to said user action outputs by modifying data stored at said local user terminal;
• means at said local user terminal for encoding said local user action outputs into application module codes and command codes;
• means at said local user terminal for sending said encoded application module codes and command codes to at least one remote user terminal;
• means at said remote user terminal for decoding each of said application module codes to select an application module for execution, and for decoding each of said command codes to specify an operation to be performed by the selected application module;
• and
• means at said remote user terminal for responding to the decoded application module codes and command codes by modifying data stored at said remote user terminal, said modifications corresponding to those performed by the local user terminal on the data stored at the local user terminal.

A method for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, each of said local and remote user terminals having a plurality of common application modules, comprising the steps of:

• receiving and interpreting local user inputs at said local user terminal and producing local user action outputs in response thereto;
• modifying data stored at said local user terminal in response to said local user action outputs;
• encoding local said user action outputs into application module codes and command codes;
• sending said encoded application module codes and command codes from said local user terminal to at least one remote user terminal;
• decoding each of said application module codes at said remote user terminal to select an application module for execution, and decoding each of said command codes to specify an operation to be performed by the selected application module;
• and
• modifying data stored at the remote user terminal, said modifications corresponding to those performed by the local user terminal on the data stored at the local user terminal.

An apparatus for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a plurality of common documents, said apparatus comprising:

• means at said local user terminal for receiving and interpreting local user inputs and for producing local user action outputs;
• means at said local user terminal for responding to said user action outputs by executing operations on documents stored at said local user terminal;
• means at said local user terminal for encoding said local user action outputs into document codes and command codes;
• means at said local user terminal for sending said document codes and command codes to at least one remote user terminal;
• means at said remote user terminal for decoding each of said document codes to select a document for revision, and for decoding each of said command codes to specify an operation to be performed on the selected document;
• and
• means at said remote user terminal for responding to the decoded document codes and command codes by executing operations on documents stored at said remote user terminal, said operations corresponding to the operations performed by the local user terminal on the documents stored at the local user terminal.

A method for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a plurality of common documents, comprising the steps of:

• receiving and interpreting local user inputs at said local user terminal and producing local user action outputs in response thereto;
• executing operations on document stored at said local user terminal in response to said local user action outputs;
• encoding said local user action outputs into document codes and command codes;
• sending said encoded document codes and command codes from said local user terminal to at least one remote user terminal;
• decoding each of said document codes at said remote user terminal to select a document for revision, and decoding each of said command codes to specify an operation to be performed on said document;
• and
• executing operations on documents stored at the remote user terminal, said operations corresponding to the operations performed by the local user terminal on the documents stored at the local user terminal.

An apparatus for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a common body of data for revision or manipulation, said apparatus comprising:

• means at said local user terminal for receiving and interpreting local user inputs and for producing local user action outputs;
• means at said local user terminal for responding to said user action outputs by modifying the body of data stored at said local user terminal;
• means at said local user terminal for encoding said local user action outputs into local user terminal identification codes and command codes;
• means at said remote user terminal for decoding each of said local user terminal identification codes to identify an entry point in the body of data stored at the remote user terminal, and for decoding each of said common codes to specify a modification to be performed on said body of data at said entry point;
• and
• means at said remote user terminal for responding to the decoded local user terminal identification codes and command codes by modifying said body of data at said entry points.

A method for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a common body of data for revision or manipulation, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving and interpreting local user inputs at said local user terminal and producing local user action outputs in response thereto;
• in response to said user action outputs, modifying the body of data stored at said local user terminal at designated entry points;
• encoding said local user action outputs into local user terminal identification codes and command codes;
• sending said local user terminal identification codes from said local user terminal and command codes to at least one remote user terminal;
• decoding each of said local user terminal identification codes at said remote user terminal to identify an entry point in the body of data stored at the remote user terminal, and decoding each of said command codes to specify a modification to be performed on said body of data at said entry point;
• responding to the decoded local user terminal identification and command codes at the remote user terminal by modifying said body of data at said entry points.

An apparatus for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a common body of data for revision or manipulation, said apparatus comprising:

• means at each of said local and remote user terminals for receiving and interpreting user inputs and for producing commands in response to said inputs;
• means at each of said local and remote user terminals for responding to said commands by modifying designated portions of the common body of data;
• means at each of said local and remote user terminals for receiving and responding to commands produced by the other user terminal in order to continuously maintain an updated version of the data at both user terminal locations;
• and
• mediation protocol means at each of said local and remote user terminals for preventing said user terminals from modifying the same designated portion of said common body of data at the same time, the nature and size of said designated portion being selectable by the user from the group consisting of a line, a paragraph, a drawing figure, and a document.

A method for conferencing among at least two computers designated as local and remote user terminals, respectively, each of said local and remote user terminals storing a common body of data for revision or manipulation, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving and interpreting local and remote user inputs at said local and remote user terminals, respectively, and producing local and remote commands in response to said inputs;
• responding to said local and remote commands at said local and remote user terminals, respectively, by modifying designated portions of the common body of data;
• at each of said local and remote user terminals, receiving and responding to commands produced by the other user terminal in order to continuously maintain an updated version of the data at both user terminal locations;
• mediating access to the data by said local and remote user terminals by preventing both user terminals from modifying the same designated portion of the common body of data at the same time;
• and
• changing the nature or size of said designated portion in response to a user input.