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US 6,601,087 B1Granted
Instant document sharing
AssigneeWebEx Communications, Inc.
InventorsMin Zhu, Guanghong Yang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method, and computer program product for instant document sharing. In one embodiment, referred to as “document sharing,” a file is converted to a “shared document” which is distributed to the members of a data conference for review. In another embodiment, referred to as “application viewing,” the “owner” of a document shares the screens created by an application associated with the document. The other members of the data conference can view the screens, but cannot interact with the application. In another embodiment, referred to as “application sharing,” the “owner” of a document shares the screens created by an application associated with the document. The other members of the data conference can view the screens and interact with the application.
Claims44
An apparatus for automatically sharing a file, comprising:
- a local computer including:
- a document loader;
- a first viewer application;
- a virtual printer;
- and
- a communication module,
- wherein the document loader is configured to print a file from an application to the virtual printer, the application associated with the file, the virtual printer is configured to create a shared document for use in a live data conference and the first viewer application is configured to display the shared document on the local computer;
- and
- a remote computer including a second viewer application,
- wherein the communication module is configured to send the shared document to the remote computer and the second viewer application is configured to display the shared document, the shared document being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
7 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a local computer including a first viewer application;
- an application invoker configured to invoke an application on the local computer, the application to generate an application screen;
- a document loader configured to send the application screen to a virtual device, the virtual device to create a shared screen for use in a live data conference, the first viewer application to display the shared screen on the local computer;
- a communication module configured to send the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer, the remote computer including a second viewer application configured to display the shared screen at the remote computer, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- and
- an input device configured to receive user input from the local computer, the application to edit the application screen based on the user input and generate an application screen update, the application screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen;
- and
- a document sharing application configured to receive the application screen update from the application and send the application screen update to the virtual device, the virtual device to create a shared screen update, the first viewer application to update the display of the shared screen with the shared screen update,
- wherein the communication module is further configured to send the shared screen update to the remote server for distribution to the remote computer, the second viewer application to update the display of the shared screen with the shared screen update and the shared screen update, the shared screen update being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a local computer including a first viewer application;
- an application invoker configured to invoke an application on the local computer, the application to generate an application screen;
- a document loader configured to send the application screen to a virtual device the virtual device to create a shared screen for use in a live data conference, the first viewer application to display the shared screen on the local computer;
- a communication module configured to send the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer, the remote computer including a second viewer application to display the shared screen at the remote computer, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- and
- an input device to receive user input from the remote computer,
- wherein the application is configured to edit the application screen based on the user input.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a remote computer including:
- a first viewer application;
- an application invoker configured to invoke an application on the remote computer, the application to generate an application screen;
- and
- a document loader configured to send the application screen to a virtual device, the virtual device to create a shared screen for use in a live data conference, the first viewer application to display the shared screen on a first display device attached to the remote computer;
- a local computer including:
- a second viewer application configured to display the shared screen on a second display device attached to the local computer, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed on the first display device and the second display device during the live data conference;
- an input device configured to receive user input from the local computer;
- a communication module configured to send the user input to a remote server for distribution to the remote computer, where the application associated with the application screen edits the application screen based on the user input to generate an application screen update, the application screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen, the document loader to send the application screen update to the virtual device, the virtual device to generate a shared screen update;
- and
- a document sharing application configured to receive the shared screen update from the remote computer, the shared screen update representing only the portion of the application screen that was edited,
- wherein the first viewer application is further configured to update the display of the shared screen on the first display device and the second viewer application is further configured to update the second display device using the shared screen update, and wherein the shared screen update is simultaneously displayed on the first display device and the second display device during the live data conference.
9 more elements
A method for automatically sharing a file, comprising:
- printing a file, on a local computer, to a virtual printer from application associated with the file to create a shared document for use in a live data conference;
- displaying the shared document on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- sending the shared document to a remote computer;
- and
- displaying the shared document at the remote computer using a second viewer application, wherein the shared document is simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- invoking an application, on a local computer to generate an application screen;
- sending the application screen to a virtual device to create a shared screen for use in a live data conference;
- displaying the shared document on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- sending the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer;
- displaying the shared screen at the remote computer using a second viewer application, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- receiving user input from the local computer;
- driving the application to edit the application screen based on the user input;
- receiving an application screen update from the application, the application screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen;
- sending the application screen update to the virtual device to create a shared screen update;
- revising the display of the shared screen using the shared screen update on the first display device using the first viewer application;
- sending the shared screen updated to the remote server for distribution to the remote computer;
- and
- revising the display of the shared screen with the shared screen update on the second display device using the second viewer application, wherein the shared screen update is simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- invoking an application on a local computer to generate an application screen for use in a live data conference;
- sending the application screen to a virtual device to create a shared screen;
- displaying the shared screen on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- sending the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer;
- displaying the shared screen at the remote computer using a second viewer application, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- receiving user input from the remote computer;
- and
- driving the application to edit the application screen based on the user input.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- presenting, on a first display device attached to a local computer, a display of a shared screen generated at a remote computer by sending an application screen to a virtual device, the remote computer simultaneously displaying the shared screen on a second display device attached to the remote computer;
- receiving user input from the local computer;
- sending the user input to a remote server for distribution to the remote computer, where an application associated with the application screen edits the application screen based on the user input;
- receiving a shared screen update from the remote computer, the shared screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen, wherein the shared screen update represents only the portion of the application screen that was edited;
- and
- revising the display of the shared screen using the shared screen update on the first display device using the first viewer application and the second display device using the second viewer application.
3 more elements
A computer program automatically sharing a file, the computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing a computer to:
- print a file, on the computer, to a virtual printer from an application associated with the file to create a shared document for use in a live data conference;
- display the shared document on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- send the shared document to a remote computer;
- and
- display the shared document at the remote computer using a second viewer application, wherein the shared document is simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
2 more elements
A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing a computer to:
- invoke an application on the computer to generate an application screen;
- send the application screen to a virtual device to create a shared screen for use in a live data conference;
- display the shared document on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- send the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer;
- display the shared screen at the remote computer using a second viewer application, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- receive user input from the local computer;
- drive the application to edit the application screen based on the user input;
- receive an application screen update from the application, the application screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen;
- send the application screen update to the virtual device to create a shared screen update;
- revise the display of the shared screen using the shared screen update on the first display device using the first viewer application;
- send the shared screen update to the remote server for distribution to the remote computer;
- and
- revise the display of the shared screen with the shared screen update on the second display device using the second viewer application, wherein the shared screen update is simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference.
10 more elements
A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing a computer to:
- invoke an application on a the computer to generate an application screen for use in a live data conference;
- send the application screen to a virtual device to create a shared screen;
- display the shared screen on the local computer using a first viewer application;
- send the shared screen to a remote server for distribution to a remote computer;
- display the shared screen at the remote computer using a second viewer application, the shared screen being simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application during the live data conference;
- receive user input from the remote computer;
- and
- drive the application to edit the application screen based on the user input.
5 more elements
A computer program tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing a computer to:
- present, on a first display device attached to the computer, a display of a shared screen generated at a remote computer by sending an application screen to a virtual device, the remote computer simultaneously displaying the shared screen on a second display device attached to the remote computer;
- receive user input from the computer;
- send the user input to a remote server for distribution to the remote computer, where an application associated with the application screen edits the application screen based on the user input;
- receive a shared screen update from the remote computer, the shared screen update occasioned by the editing of the application screen, wherein the shared screen update represents only the portion of the application screen that was edited;
- and
- revise the display of the shared screen using the shared screen update on the first display device using the first viewer application and the second display device using the second viewer application.
3 more elements
A system for sharing a file comprising:
- a local computer configured to create a shared document that can be displayed at the local computer using a first viewer application;
- a communication module configured to send the shared document to a remote computer for use in a live data conference;
- and
- the remote computer having a second viewer application to display the shared document, wherein the shared document that is displayable simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application.
1 more element
A system for sharing an application screen comprising:
- a local computer configured to create an application screen that can be displayed at the local computer using a first viewer application;
- a communication module configured to send the application screen to a remote computer for use in a live data conference;
- and
- the remote computer having a second viewer application to display the application screen, wherein the application screen that is displayable simultaneously displayed by the first viewer application and the second viewer application.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.