Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Picturetel Corporation

Other

Kenneth P Hughes

John P Batty

Christopher J Mairs

Alex J Pollitt

Anthony M Downes

Roderick F MacFarquhar

Mark E Berry

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.

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

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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East Sussex, United Kingdom

Kenneth P Hughes