Electronic conference system, electronic conference support method, electronic conference support device, and conference server

Abstract

A conference server computer to which a display device is connected has a unit that acquires attribute information which is input and designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on the display device, a controller that processes the drawing object in accordance with the attribute information, and a unit that transmits the attribute information acquired to an electronic conference control device. An electronic conference control device has a unit that manages, as a drawing object, a partial screen image forming a portion of a screen image when the screen data are displayed, a processor that receives attribute information transmitted from one of the conference server computers, and a processor that notifies the attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server computer other than the conference server computer in which the attribute information is input and designated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description 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 stored in a drawing object information storage in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a user operation for creating a drawing object according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are diagrams for explaining handling of the drawing object when an attribute of “unshared” is set for the drawing object;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an attribute setting process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D are diagrams for explaining other forms of use when an attribute of “unshared” is set for a drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining handling of a drawing object when an attribute of “editing prohibition” is set for the drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are diagrams for explaining handling of a drawing object when an attribute of “front display” is set for the drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C are diagrams for explaining handling of a drawing object when an attribute of “enlargement/reduction” is set for the drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C are diagrams for explaining handling of a drawing object when an attribute of “always display” is set for the drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining handling of a drawing object when an attribute of “transparent” is set for the drawing object in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic conference system comprising: a plurality of conference servers to which a display is connected, andan electronic conference control device, whereinthe conference server comprises:an attribute acquiring unit that acquires attribute information which is designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on the connected display;a screen data process controller that processes the drawing object in accordance with the acquired attribute information; andan attribute information transmitting unit that transmits the acquired attribute information to the electronic conference control device, andthe electronic conference control device comprises:a screen data management unit that manages information related to screen image commonly displayed on the plurality of displays;a drawing object management unit that manages a portion of a screen image as a drawing object;an attribute designation processor that receives attribute information transmitted from the attribute information transmitting unit of one of the plurality conference servers; andan attribute notification processor that notifies the received attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server other than the conference server in which the attribute information is designated.

2. A conference server comprising: an attribute acquiring unit that acquires attribute information which is designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on a display which is connected to the conference server;a screen data process controller that processes the drawing object in accordance with the attribute information acquired by the attribute acquiring unit; andan attribute information transmitting unit that transmits the attribute information acquired by the attribute acquiring unit to an electronic conference control device.

3. An electronic conference control device comprising: a screen data management unit that manages information related to screen image commonly displayed on display devices;a drawing object management unit that manages a portion of a screen image as a drawing object;an attribute designation processor that receives attribute information which is designated by a user with respect to the drawing object; andan attribute notification processor that notifies the received attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server other than the conference server in which the attribute information is designated.

4. The electronic conference control device according to claim 3, further comprising: a drawing object creation processor that creates the drawing object based on a screen image contained in a region formed by a user operation on a screen image displayed on one of the plurality of displays.

5. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for supporting an electronic conference, the process comprising: acquiring attribute information which is designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on a display which is connected to the computer;processing the drawing object according to the acquired attribute information; andtransmitting the acquired attribute information to an electronic conference control device.

6. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for supporting an electronic conference, the process comprising: managing information related to screen image commonly displayed on a plurality of displays connected to a plurality of conference servers in the electronic conference;managing a portion of a screen image as a drawing object,;receiving attribute information which is designated with respect to the drawing object; andnotifying the received attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server other than the conference server in which the attribute information is designated.

7. The computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the process further comprises:creating the drawing object based on a screen image contained in a region formed by a user operation on a screen image displayed on one of the displays.

8. A computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the process further comprises:acquiring, when information related to a managed drawing object includes identification information of the drawing object, display region of the drawing object on a screen image, and attribute information of the drawing object, attribute information for processing the drawing object.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the attribute information includes one of information on whether or not the drawing object is to be shared, information on whether or not the drawing object can be edited, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be displayed, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be displayed in front, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be always displayed, information on whether or not the drawing object can be stored, and enlargement/reduction information of display.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information includes one of information on whether or not the drawing object is to be shared, information on whether or not the drawing object can be edited, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be displayed, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be displayed in front, information on whether or not the drawing object is to be always displayed, information on whether or not the drawing object can be stored, and enlargement/reduction information of display.

11. An electronic conference supporting method comprising: causing a conference server included in an electronic conference system and to which a display is connected, to:acquire attribute information which is designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on the display which is connected to the conference server; andtransmit the acquired attribute information to an electronic conference control device, andcausing an electronic conference control device included in the electronic conference system to:receive attribute information transmitted from one of conference servers; andnotify the received attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server computer other than the conference server computer in which the attribute information is designated; whereinthe conference server receiving the notification of attribute information processes the drawing object in accordance with the notified attribute information.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for supporting an electronic conference, the process comprising: acquiring attribute information which is designated with respect to a drawing object contained in a screen image displayed on a display which is connected to the computer;processing the drawing object in accordance with the acquired attribute information; andtransmitting the acquired attribute information to an electronic conference control device.

13. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for supporting an electronic conference, the process comprising: managing information related to screen image commonly displayed on a plurality of displays connected to a plurality of conference servers in an electronic conference system;managing a portion of a screen image as a drawing object;receiving attribute information which is designated with respect to the drawing object, and notifying the received attribute information with respect to the drawing object to a conference server other than the conference server in which the attribute information is input and designated.