Computer conferencing system for selectively linking and unlinking private page with public page by selectively activating linked mode and non-linked mode for each participant

In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, each participant of said plurality of participants having a meeting manager, said meeting manager comprising:

• means for collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;
• means for collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which said meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;
• means for selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;
• and
• means for creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with said private page, said virtual page not containing annotations.

In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, each participant of said plurality of participants having a meeting manager, said meeting manager comprising:

• means for collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;
• means for collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which said meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;
• means for selectively linking said private page with said page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;
• means for maintaining a private page list representing a plurality of private pages, said means for maintaining a private page list further including means for linking said plurality of private pages together in said private page list;
• means for creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with any of said plurality of private pages of said private page list, said virtual page not containing annotations;
• and
• means for linking said virtual page with said private page list when an annotation is added to said virtual page.

In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

• collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;
• collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;
• selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;
• and
• selectively activating a linked mode or a non-linked mode, said step of selectively linking only being performed when said linked mode is active, said private page being unlinked with said public page when said non-linked mode is active.

In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

• collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;
• collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;
• selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed;
• and
• creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with said private page, said virtual page not containing annotations.

In a computer conferencing system having a plurality of participants coupled by a communication medium, a process for linking public and private pages comprising the steps of:

• collecting public meeting information generated by any of said plurality of participants, said public meeting information including at least one public page of annotations;
• collecting private meeting information from a local participant in which a meeting manager is resident, said private meeting information being different from said public meeting information, said private meeting information not accessible to said plurality of conference participants other than said local participant, said private meeting information including at least one private page of annotations;
• selectively linking said private page with said public page, said private page being implicitly accessed when said linked public page is explicitly accessed:
• maintaining a private page list representing a plurality of private pages, said step of maintaining a private page list further including a step of linking said plurality of private pages together in said private page list;
• creating a virtual private page when said public page is not linked with any of said plurality of private pages of said private page list, said virtual page not containing annotations;
• and
• linking said virtual page with said private page list when an annotation is added to said virtual page.