Patent Application
20150033146
The present disclosure relates to sharing of content during online meetings.
The use of online meetings has become more common due to distances between people in business and other environments as well as advances in video and communications technologies. In addition, with the increased use of mobile devices, more people take advantage of communication technologies integrated with the mobile devices to engage in online meetings with the use of such mobile devices, including the sharing of files and other content during such online meetings.
However, given the smaller sizes of mobile devices, and the corresponding smaller screen sizes (e.g., in comparison to the screen size of a laptop or PC), it can be difficult at times for a user of a mobile device to follow details of content while it is being shared by a presenter within an online meeting. For example, in a scenario in which a presenter is sharing a file such as a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a slide presentation, etc., the content may be too small on the screen of a mobile device for a user to visualize and understand the content currently being presented. In order for a user of a mobile device to fully appreciate the shared content, the user may need to use a magnification or zoom function at times. This makes the mobile device user experience during the online meeting more difficult, particularly during changes in content being presented during the meeting.
Techniques are described herein for a plurality of computing devices engaged in an online meeting, where one of the computing devices is designated as a presenter and shared content is provided from the presenter to at least one other computing device engaged in the online meeting. A detection is made regarding whether a display icon located within an entire area of the shared content and controlled via an icon navigation device at the presenter has moved from a first position to at least one moved position. In response to a detection that the display icon has moved to the at least one moved position, a focus region is determined that corresponds with movements of the display icon, where the focus region comprises a defined smaller area of the shared content in relation to the entire area and encompasses the at least one moved position. An indication is provided to automatically modify the shared content so as to magnify a view of the focus region at one or more computing devices engaged in the online meeting.
An example embodiment of a system that supports online meetings and other types of communications and sharing or exchange of content between client devices, including PC client devices and mobile client devices, is depicted in the schematic diagram of
Referring to
As shown in the example embodiment of
Suitable server devices 20 can be any suitable types of stationary or other types of computing devices capable of hosting and managing online meetings and also, optionally, other types of communication sessions between client devices 6 (e.g., email, instant messaging or SMS communications, posting of content in blogs or other virtual environments, support of chat rooms, communities or other forms of social networking platforms).
The client devices and servers can utilize any suitable operating systems (e.g., Android, Windows, Mac OS, Symbian OS, RIM Blackberry OS, Linux, etc.) to facilitate interaction, communications and sharing of content between client devices 6 over the network 4. In addition, the techniques described herein for enhancing the experience particularly for users of mobile devices during sharing of content in an online meeting can be implemented utilizing any suitable types of commercial software products and associated services that support such communications and sharing of content between client devices. Some examples of software products and associated services with which the techniques described herein can be integrated include, without limitation, WebEx (Cisco Systems, Inc.) and LotusLive (IBM Corporation).
An example embodiment of a client device 6 is depicted in the block diagram of
The network interface 9 of the client device 6 can be, for example, one or more of an Ethernet interface card or switch, a modem, a router or any other suitable hardware device that facilitates a wireless and/or hardwire connection over the network 4 with one or more server devices 20 and other client devices 6, where the network interface unit can be integrated within the device or a peripheral that connects with the device.
The memory 10 of the client device 6 may comprise read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, or other physical/tangible memory storage devices, and any combinations thereof. The processor 8 can comprise at least one microprocessor that executes control process logic instructions 12 stored within memory 10 including operational instructions and software applications stored within such memory (e.g., operation of a TNM module 17 as described herein). Thus, in general, the memory 10 may comprise one or more tangible (non-transitory) computer readable storage media (e.g., a memory device) encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed (by the processor 8) it is operable to perform the operations described herein in connection with the TNM module 17 for automatically magnifying a focus region for content shared during an online meeting. A focus region refers to a defined area that is smaller than and within the entire area that defines the shared content.
An example embodiment of a meeting server 20 that can be used in the system 2 of
The memory 10 of each client device 6 includes a meeting software application module 14 that comprises one or more software applications that facilitate online meetings and/or other types of communications with other client devices 6 over the network, where the online meetings are hosted by one or more host meeting servers 20. Each meeting server 20 also includes a meeting software application module that facilitates hosting by the meeting server 20 of online meetings, including sharing of content between client devices 6, as well as other types of communication over a suitable software platform (e.g., via a Cisco WebEx software platform, a LotusLive software platform or any other suitable software platform). Memory 10 of one or more client devices 6 also includes a tracking navigator motion (TNM) module 17 comprising one or more suitable software applications that are configured to track and record motions of the icon by the navigator 7 in relation to the display 16 when the client device 6 is designated as a presenter and content is being shared during an online meeting session. The memory 24 of one or more meeting servers 20 can also optionally include a TNM module 29 comprising one or more suitable software applications that receives navigator motion tracking information from a client device 6 designated as a presenter and processes such information as described herein such that certain other client devices 6 engaged in an ongoing online meeting session provide a magnification of a focus region associated with the navigator motion tracking information.
As previously noted herein, mobile client devices, such as PDAs and cellular phones (e.g., smart phones), are being used more frequently by users to engage in online meetings. Due to the smaller display screen window size of such mobile client devices (e.g., in relation to a PC client device, such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer), it can be difficult to view content that is being shared by a presenter within an online meeting session (e.g., the sharing of a word processing document, a slide presentation, a spreadsheet document, etc.). The user of the mobile client device has the option to enlarge or magnify a portion of the display (e.g., via conventional touch screen magnification or zoom techniques, such as finger slide or swipe techniques, etc.) to render it easier to view. However, such manual magnification techniques can be distracting to the user when trying to engage in the ongoing online meeting. The techniques described herein provide automatic enlargement or magnification of a focus region of shared content for mobile client devices (or any other client device authorizing such feature) within an ongoing online meeting within based upon detection of display icon navigator motions by the presenter of the content.
In particular, the TNM module 17 provides one or more algorithms, via the one or more software applications of the module 17, that detect motion of an icon (e.g., pointer, cursor, etc.) based upon inputs from the display icon navigator 7 at the client device 6 currently designated as the presenter within the online meeting session and in relation to content that is being shared. Based upon such motion detection, a focus region within the shared content is defined (where the focus region defines an area within the shared content that is smaller than the entire area of the shared content), and this focus region (or information regarding the focus region) is provided, via communications over the network 4, to other client devices 6 engaged in the online meeting session. The focus region information can be used to automatically enlarge or magnify the focus region within the shared content at the client device 6.
An example embodiment showing how automatic magnification of a detected focus region for shared content within an online meeting session is viewed at a mobile client device 6-3 (e.g., a cellular phone) is depicted in
An example embodiment of a process for providing automatic enlargement or magnification of a focus region within shared content during an online meeting session between client devices 6 within the system 2 of
Referring to the flow chart of
In the event the shared content is determined to not contain text (or a substantial or majority of the content is determined as not containing text), at 60 the focus region for the shared content is determined to remain the whole or entire file or content. For example, in the event the shared content is an image file, the focus region is initially set to be the entire area or region of the image file. An example embodiment of shared content 32 that is determined not to contain text (or an insignificant portion of text) is depicted in
In the event a selected portion (e.g., a majority) of or the entire shared file or shared content is determined to contain text, possible focus regions are defined within the shared file or shared content at 65. In particular, possible focus regions can be defined based upon an order of the text, where the order can be from top to bottom and from left to right within the shared content. An example embodiment of a shared file 34 determined as containing text is depicted in
It is noted that, when a new file or new content is initially shared by the presenter client device 6 with other client devices 6 within the online meeting session, the entire displayed content is designated the focus region. As previously noted, the focus region can be limited to defined focus regions containing text at 65 (and as depicted in
Examples of types of navigator detection that can be implemented utilizing the TNM module 17 are described with reference to
Another example depicting tracking of movements based upon operation of the navigator 7 at the presenter client device 6 is depicted in
A further example depicting tracking of movements based upon operation of the navigator 7 at the presenter client device 6 is depicted in
The example embodiments depicted in
In addition, while the examples described herein designate defined focus regions for shared content (both for shared content detected as including text and other shared content, e.g., images) that are independent of navigator-controlled icon movements, and then the trajectories or movements of an icon (e.g., pointer, cursor, etc.) controlled by the navigator 7 are mapped within a particular defined focus region so as to determine which focus region to designate for automatic magnification, it is noted that other techniques for determining a focus region based upon movements of the icon controlled by the navigator 7 can also be utilized. For example, a focus region can be defined based upon the navigator-controlled coordinate (x, y) movements of the icon controlled by the navigator 7, where an area defined by icon movements (e.g., as depicted in
At 70, when there is no detected movement of the icon by the navigator 7 (e.g., a mouse device of the presenter client device 6 remains motionless during sharing of content), the initial focus region, which is defined as the whole area of the shared content, remains unchanged at 75.
However, when a new focus region is detected, based upon techniques such as those previously described in relation to
At 85, in response to a determination that the meeting is still ongoing (i.e., meeting has not ended), a determination is made at 90 whether there is a new presenter and/or a new shared file or other new shared content. In response to a determination that the presenter remains unchanged, the process continues at 70 to detect whether a new focus region is to be magnified, based upon movements of the icon by the navigator 7 at the current presenter client device 6. If there is no detection of operation of the navigator 7 to move the icon (e.g., no movements made by the mouse device at the presenter client device 6, such that the pointer remains idle or at the same general location in relation to the current focus region), no change is made and the current focus region is maintained. In the event the icon has been moved using the navigator 7, the motion control and/or other actions associated with the icon are tracked (e.g., utilizing some or all of the techniques as described herein in relation to
When a new presenter or new shared content is detected at 90, the process repeats again at 50. If new shared content is being shared with the same presenter, the navigator 7 of the same presenter client device 6 is monitored using the TNM module 17 of the same presenter client device 6. Alternatively, if a new presenter has been designated within the online meeting, the process continues at 50 via the shared content of the new presenter and by monitoring the navigator 7 of the new presenter client device 6 using the TNM module 17 at the new presenter client device 6.
One or more meeting server(s) 20 associated with an ongoing meeting session can also optionally include a TNM module 29 including one or more software programs to provide some of the monitoring features in relation to the navigator 7 of a presenter client device 6. For example, rather than designating the processing of all features of determining focus regions for shared content and tracking of movements of the icon in relation to the shared content at each presenter client device 6 (via the TNM module 17 at each presenter client device 6), one or more servers 20 (each utilizing its TNM module 29) can determine focus regions based upon information received from client devices that are designated as the current presenters. For example, input information from the navigator 7 of a client device 6 designated as a presenter when shared content is provided during an online meeting session can be utilized by a server 20 to determine a focus region for the shared content that corresponds with the input information of the navigator 7 (where such input information corresponds with movement of an icon to one or more locations within an area of the shared content). The server 20 can then use such information to determine whether a focus region is to be modified for magnification at client devices 6 engaged in the online meeting session. Thus, the processing associated with defining and assigning focus regions of shared content based upon detection of tracked movements of an icon (as determined by inputs from the navigator 7) associated with the presenter client device 6 can be handled by one or more servers 20 during the online conference instead of by the current presenter client device 6. It is noted, however, that the processing required to detect focus regions based upon icon motions as determined by navigator inputs from the presenter client device requires very little processing resources at the presenter side.
Automatic magnification of a designated focus region of shared content during an online meeting session can be implemented directly at certain client devices 6 engaged in the online meeting session. For example, client devices that are receiving the shared content during the online meeting session can further receive information regarding a focus region of the shared content to be magnified. Each client device 6 (e.g., utilizing its TNM module 17) can automatically display a magnified view of the focus region in response to receiving information regarding the focus region (or a modified focus region). The amount or degree of magnification can be selected (e.g., personalized) for each client device 6. Alternatively, a designated focus region can be automatically magnified at the presenter client device 6 and/or a meeting server associated with the online meeting session, and the magnified view of the focus region can be provided to client devices 6 engaged in the online meeting session.
The system 2 of
Thus, the techniques described herein provide an effective mechanism for accurately determining focus regions of shared content based upon presenter movements of a navigator controlled icon (e.g., pointer, cursor, etc.). This allows client devices, in particular mobile client devices having smaller display screens, to easily view and follow portions of shared content based upon automatic magnification of focus regions without having to make manual adjustments (e.g., the user can engage “hands free” in the meeting on their mobile device). Further, in scenarios in which only the focus region portion of the shared content is transferred to client devices, the amount of data associated with the shared content that needs to be transferred to client devices can be minimized, thus conserving network bandwidth consumption.
The above description is intended by way of example only.
