Electronic conference control device, electronic conference assistance method, storage medium, and computer data signal

Abstract

An electronic conference control device has a display controller that controls display of common screen images commonly displayed on display devices, local screen images displayed only on a connected one of the display devices, cut screen images generated by extracting a screen image portion contained in a closed space having a region designated by a user on a screen image displayed on the connected one of the display devices, and common cut screen images commonly displayed on the display devices on the connected one of the display devices, and a screen-dividing processor that, upon selection of one or multiple common cut screen images from among common cut screen images contained in a common screen image displayed on the screen and input of an instruction to start a local discussion at the site, to thereby manage the selected common cut screen image also as a local cut screen image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals have been applied to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall structural diagram schematically showing an exemplary embodiment of an electronic conference system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block structural diagram of an electronic conference system according to an exemplary, embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram exemplifying a data structure of information regarding a cut screen image stored and managed by a common cut screen management unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining setting of coordinate data of a cut screen handled in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram exemplifying a data structure of information regarding a selected state of a cut screen stored and managed by a common cut screen management unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram exemplifying a data structure of information regarding assignment state stored and managed by a common cut screen management unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram exemplifying a data structure of information regarding a cut screen image stored and managed by a local cut screen management unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining summary of a division process and an integration process of a screen image according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram exemplifying a screen when a button or the like is displayed on a touch panel display device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram exemplifying a screen displayed on a touch panel display device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a user operation to generate a cut screen in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram exemplifying a screen display when a cut screen is generated in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram exemplifying a screen when a sub-menu for a local discussion assignment button is displayed on a touch panel display device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a diagram exemplifying a screen display on a touch panel display device when a local discussion is assigned in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a diagram exemplifying a screen display on a touch panel display device of a site to which a local discussion is assigned when a discussion is started at the site in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a diagram exemplifying a screen display of a touch panel display device at a site when a new page is generated during a local discussion in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between pages when a page is newly added in the course of a local discussion in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a diagram exemplifying a screen display on a touch panel display device in a site when a cut screen is generated in the course of a local discussion in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 19 is a diagram exemplifying a screen when a sub-menu of a local discussion completion button is displayed on the touch panel display device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic conference control device comprising: a common screen management unit that manages information regarding a common screen image which is commonly displayed on a plurality of display devices in an electronic conference system;a local screen management unit that manages information regarding a local screen image which is displayed on a connected display device;a cut screen generation processor that generates a cut screen image by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a screen image displayed on the connected display device;a common cut screen management unit that manages information regarding a common cut screen image which is commonly displayed on the plurality of display devices;a local cut screen management unit that manages information regarding a local cut screen image which is displayed on the connected display device;a display controller that controls display of managed screen images on the connected display device; anda screen-dividing processor that, upon selection of one or a plurality of common cut screen images from a common screen image displayed on the display device and reception of an instruction to start a discussion at a site which includes the display device, instructs the local cut screen management unit to manage a copy of information regarding the selected common cut screen image as a local cut screen image.

2. An electronic conference control device comprising: a common screen management unit that manages information regarding a common screen image which is commonly displayed on a plurality of display devices in an electronic conference system;a local screen management unit that manages information regarding a local screen image displayed on a connected display device;a cut screen generation processor that generates a cut screen image by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a screen image displayed on the connected display device;a common cut screen management unit that manages information regarding a common cut screen image which is commonly displayed on the plurality of display devices;a local cut screen management unit that manages information regarding a local cut screen image which is displayed on the connected display device;a display controller that controls display of managed screen images on the connected display device;a screen-dividing processor that, upon selection of one or a plurality of common cut screen images from a common screen image displayed on the display device and reception of an instruction to start a discussion at a site which includes the display device, instructs the local cut screen management unit to manage a copy of information regarding the selected common cut screen image as a local cut screen image;a screen integration processor that, upon reception of an instruction to complete the discussion at the site, instructs the common cut screen management unit to manage a local cut screen image which is newly generated during the discussion as a common cut screen image, and transmits the newly generated local cut screen image to be shared and a sharing instruction to another electronic conference control device; anda screen sharing processor that, upon reception from another electronic conference control device of a sharing instruction and a screen image to be shared, instructs the common screen management unit or the common cut screen management unit to manage information regarding the transmitted screen image according to the sharing instruction.

3. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for assistance an electronic conference, the process comprising: managing information regarding a common screen image commonly displayed on a plurality of display devices in an electronic conference system;managing information regarding a local screen image displayed on a connected display device;generating a cut screen image by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a screen image displayed on the connected display device;managing information regarding a common cut screen image which is commonly displayed on the plurality of display devices;managing information regarding a local cut screen image which is displayed on the connected display device;controlling display of the managed screen image on the connected display device; andupon selection of one or a plurality of common cut screen images from a common screen image displayed on the display device and reception of an instruction to start a discussion at a site which includes the display device managing the selected common cut screen image as a local cut screen image.

4. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for assistance an electronic conference, the process comprising: managing information regarding a common screen image commonly displayed on a plurality of display devices in an electronic conference system;managing information regarding a local screen image displayed on a connected display device;generating a cut screen image by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a screen image displayed on the connected display device;managing information regarding a common cut screen image which is commonly displayed on the plurality of display devices;managing information regarding a local cut screen image which is displayed on the connected display device;controlling display of the managed screen image on the connected display device;upon reception of an instruction to complete a discussion at a site which includes the display device, managing a copy of a newly generated local cut screen image as a common cut screen image, and transmitting the newly generated local cut screen image and a sharing instruction to another conference server computer; andupon reception from another conference server computer of a sharing instruction and a screen image to be shared, managing the transmitted screen image as a common cut screen image according to the sharing instruction.

5. The computer readable medium according to claim 4, wherein the process further comprises: upon reception of an instruction to complete a discussion including an instruction for sharing screen image of an overall page which is used in the discussion, managing a copy of the screen image of the overall page as a common screen image.

6. An electronic conference assistance method comprising: displaying, on a display device connected to a conference server computer, a screen image having a same content as other display device connected to other conference server computer;generating a plurality of cut screen images by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a displayed screen image;selecting one or a plurality of cut screen images from a screen image displayed on the display device;upon reception of an instruction to start a discussion at a site which includes the display device, displaying only the selected cut screen image on the display device; andupon reception of an instruction to complete the local discussion at the site, transmitting a screen image which is newly generated during the discussion and is to be shared and an instruction for sharing the newly generated screen image to another conference server computer.

7. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for assistance an electronic conference, the process comprising: displaying, on a display device connected to a conference server computer, a screen image having a same content as other display device connected to other conference server computer;generate a plurality of cut screen images by extracting a screen image portion contained in a region designated by a user on a displayed screen image;selecting one or a plurality of cut screen images from a screen image displayed on the display device;upon reception of an instruction to start a discussion at a site which includes the display device, displaying only the selected cut screen image on the display device; andupon reception of an instruction to complete the local discussion at the site, transmitting a screen image which is newly generated during the discussion and is to be shared and an instruction for sharing the newly generated screen image to another conference server computer.