Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Picturetel Corporation

Other

Christopher J Mairs

John P Batty

Alex J Pollitt

Anthony M Downes

Roderick F MacFarquhar

Kenneth P Hughes

Mark E Berry

Philip Jonathan May

Conor M Foley

Philip May

A method and system for compressing bitmap data in a system for sharing an application running on a host computer with a remote computer, wherein the shared application's screen output is simultaneously displayed on both computers. Simultaneous display of screen output is achieved by efficiently transmitting display data between the host computer and the remote computer. When a font used by the host computer for displaying text is not available on the remote computer, the host computer sends a bitmap representation of the text for display, rather than the text itself. Bitmap representations are cached by the remote computer, so that the same bitmap representation need not be repeatedly transmitted from the host computer to the remote computer. Bitmap representations are compressed by the host computer prior to transmission, transmitted, then decompressed by the computer.

Method and system for transmitting and determining the effects of display orders from shared application between a host and shadow computer

Method and system for transmitting data for a shared application

A method and system for compressing bitmap data in a system for sharing an application running on a host computer with a remote computer, wherein the shared application's screen output is simultaneously displayed on both computers. Simultaneous display of screen output is achieved by efficiently transmitting display data between the host computer and the remote computer. When a font used by the host computer for displaying text is not available on the remote computer, the host computer sends a bitmap representation of the text for display, rather than the text itself. Bitmap representations are cached by the remote computer, so that the same bitmap representation need not be repeatedly transmitted from the host computer to the remote computer. Bitmap representations are compressed by the host computer prior to transmission, transmitted, then decompressed by the remote computer.

A method and system for managing data (i.e., objects) that are shared by multiple instances of a shared application program. A shared application program is an application program that is executing simultaneously on multiple computers and that has a copy of data that is being shared by each instance of the application program. In particular, each computer maintains a copy of the shared data. When an instance of the application program modifies the shared data, the modifications are sent to the other computers. Each of these other computers stores the data in its copy of the shared data, and each instance of the application program updates its user interface to reflect the modifications to the shared data. Thus, the users of the shared application program can cooperatively modify and view the shared data. For example, multiple users can be executing a word processing program on their computer and sharing a common document. As one user changes the document, the word processing program updates its copy of the shared data. The changes are then transmitted to the other computers so that their copy of the shared data can be updated. In particular, an object management (OM) system is provided that enables shared application programs to manage their copy of the shared data. Each computer has a copy of the OM system. The OM system, under the direction of the shared application program, manages the adding, deleting, and modifying of the shared data. The OM system also controls the transmitting of modifications to the copy of the shared data to the other computers.

Method and system for managing data while sharing application programs

Compressing/decompressing bitmap by performing exclusive- or operation setting differential encoding of first and previous row therewith outputting run-length encoding of row

Methods and systems for sharing applications among computer systems are disclosed. A shared application runs on a host computer and its output is displayed both on the host computer and on shadow computers. Users of the host and shadow computers coordinate who is momentarily in control of the shared application. Input from a user not in control is discarded while input from a user in control is sent to the shared application.

Method and system for sharing applications between computer systems

Methods and systems for coordinating the z-order of windows shared among computers are disclosed. A shared application runs on a host computer and its output is displayed in windows both on the host computer and on shadow computers. The &ldquo;z-order&rdquo; on each computer tells which window is logically the &ldquo;topmost&rdquo; one displayed (that is, the window not obscured by other windows), which window is logically just below that one, etc., down to the window logically at the &ldquo;bottom&rdquo; of the stack. When the z-order of the windows on the host or on a shadow computer is changed, notification of that change is sent to the other computers so that they can adjust their own z-order accordingly.

Method and systems for simulating a high-resolution display of a first computer on a low- resolution display of a second computer are disclosed. A shared application runs on a host computer and its output is displayed in windows both on the host computer and on shadow computers. At any one time, the user of the low-resolution display sees only a portion of the high-resolution display but can scroll the portion seen through the entire high-resolution display.

A method and system for sharing application programs between multiple computer systems. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a multipoint application sharing (MAS) system that resides at each computer system (i.e., node) in a network of computer systems. The MAS system at each computer system communicates with each MAS system at each other computer system by sending messages over the network. The MAS system enables a user at each computer system to share one or more application programs with each user at each other computer system. To share an application program, a user at a host computer system invokes the application program. Then, the user requests the MAS system to share the invoked application program with users at other computer systems. Each computer that is sharing the application, can view the output of the application and can, under certain circumstances, take control of the application so that it can send remote keyboard and pointing device information to the application.

Method and system for sharing negotiating capabilities when sharing an application with multiple systems

Method for transmitting text data for shared application between first and second computer asynchronously upon initiation of a session without solicitation from first computer

A method and system for controlling flow of output data between computers sharing an application program. The application program is executed on a host computer and shared with shadow computers. Each computer has a sharing system for coordinating the sharing of the application program. The sharing system of the host computer requests a flow control system of the host computer for permission to transmit output data. The flow control system of the host computer, upon receiving the request for permission, determines whether the amount of output data currently in transit from the host computer to the shadow computers exceeds the amount that can be in transit. When the amount is not exceeded, the flow control system grants permission to the sharing system of the host computer; and when the amount is exceeded, the flow control system denies permission to the sharing system of the host computer. Periodically, the flow control system calculates a shadow display time that represents time needed to transmit a certain amount of output data to the shadow computers and to process the certain amount of output data at the shadow computers. The flow control system also adjusts the amount of data that can be in transit when the calculated shadow display time is not acceptable so that the host computer and shadow computers can be displaying output data at approximately the same time. The sharing system transmits the output data to the shadow computers when permission is granted.

Method and system for controlling data flow

Method and system for negotiating capabilities when sharing an

A method in a computer system for displaying data generated by a shared application on a host computer system on both a host display of the host computer system and a shadow display of a shadow computer systems The host computer system has a window manager for managing windows displayed on the host display. The shadow computer system has a window manager for managing windows displayed on the shadow display. Under control of the host computer system, a Share System executes the shared application. Then, the Share System registers a host window with the windowing system of the host computer system. Upon registration of the host window, the Share System sends a notification of registration of the host window to the shadow computer system. At the shadow computer system, the Share System receives the sent notification of registration of the host window. Upon receiving the sent notification of registration of the host window, the Share System registers a shadow window with the windowing system of the shadow computer system so that the window wing system of the shadow computer system can send messages to the shadow window and receive data to display in the shadow window.

A method and system sharing an application running on a host computer with a remote computer by simultaneously displaying the application's screen output on both computers. Simultaneous display of screen output is achieved by efficiently transmitting display data from the host computer to the remote computer. Data that will not result in a visible display on the remote computer is detected by the host computer and not transmitted, eliminating unnecessary transmission and processing of data by the remote computer. Pixel depth translation is done on the computer system capable of most accurately translating pixel depth. When the font used by the host computer for displaying text is not available on the remote computer, the host computer sends a bitmap representation of the text for display, rather than the text itself Bitmap representations are cached by the remote computer, so that the same bitmap representation need not be repeatedly transmitted from the host computer to the remote computer. Bitmap representations are compressed by the host computer prior to transmission.

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London, United Kingdom

Christopher J Mairs