Method and apparatus to improve the usability of thumbnails

A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system, causes the computing system to perform a method comprising:

• generating a snapshot representing at least a portion of a view containing a plurality of layers of content, wherein at least a portion of a first layer in the plurality of layers overlaps and hides at least a portion of a second layer in the plurality of layers, and where each layer of the content has an attribute;
• scaling the snapshot to a reduced size to form the thumbnail;
• enhancing a representation of content represented in the thumbnail to generate an enhanced thumbnail based upon the attribute of each layer of the content, wherein enhancing reveals subject matter of the hidden portion of the second layer;
• and
• displaying the generated enhanced thumbnail in a display region with one or more generated enhanced thumbnails, wherein the generated enhanced thumbnail represents content from a computer of a plurality of computers in a collaboration session representing a group of users communicating for a specific purpose, wherein the generated enhanced thumbnail is updated on the computer and displayed in computers of the plurality of computers participating in the collaboration session such that content of the snapshot is discernable to the plurality of computers via the enhanced thumbnail.

A computer implemented method for creating and updating a thumbnail within a collaborative environment comprising:

• a) generating a thumbnail representing at least a portion of a view of content displayable on a first client computer in a plurality of client computers in a collaboration session;
• b) displaying the thumbnail in a thumbnail region on each client computer in the plurality of client computers;
• c) repeating steps a) and b) for each client computer in the plurality of client computers in the collaboration session
• d) upon the content being altered using the first client computer, updating the thumbnail displayed in the thumbnail region on each client computer in the plurality of client computers in the collaboration session communicating for a specific purpose;
• and
• e) enhancing a representation of the altered content represented in the thumbnail via an intermediate thumbnail, and wherein enhancing identifies what content in the thumbnail is altered.