Ncr Corporation

Krista S Schwartz

Allison A Carleton

Catherine M FitzPatrick

Theresa M Pommier

Paul A Peterson

John Hester

William C Schwartz

J Michael Grinn

Joseph B Cyr

Catherine A Boss

David R Connet

The invention concerns using multiple computers to hold a conference. Under the invention, an application program can run on a single computer, yet remote participants can issue commands to the program. Remote participants can watch the program operate, because the invention replicates the display window of the running program onto the displays of the remote computers. Any participant can make annotations on the participant's own computer display. The invention copies the annotations to the displays of the other participants.

Method of remote collaboration system

A system for allowing multiple parties to collaborate is disclosed. The system comprises multiple remote computers, each having a display and storage space for programs, and a host computer having a storage space for programs, the host computer running a program which is shared by the remote computers. The system also includes means for linking the remote computers and the host computer together, using a network, substantially identical programs, running on each remote computer, for allowing the user of each of the remote computers to select and run a program stored in the storage space of that remote computer, provide program input to the program selected, for showing output of the program selected on the display of each of the remote computers, allowing the user of each remote computer to draw annotation images on the display of the user's remote computer, and replicating the annotation images on the displays of the remote computers.

Remote collaboration system with annotation and viewer capabilities

Remote collaboration system with multiple host computers using multiple

Remote collaboration system with selective annotation

Remote collaboration system

A method and system for remote collaboration is disclosed, wherein a host program running on a host computer is distinct from a remote program running on remote computers. The host program provides an output, and the remote program, which is distinct from the host program, presents the output on the display of the computers, provides input to the host program, annotates the display of the computers, replicates the display of one computer to another computer, and selectively blocks inputs to the program and annotations to the display.

Remote collaboration system performed by a host computer running an

A method and system for remote collaboration is disclosed. The method comprises running a remote program on each of a plurality of remote computers coupled to a host computer running a host program that is distinct from the remote program. The host program generates an image that is communicated to the remote programs for output on each of the remote computers' displays. The remote programs each allow the users of the remote computers to independently annotate the image generated by the host computer and output on the remote computers' displays. The remote programs each independently store the image generated by the host program at a first location and store the annotations to the image at a second location separate from the first location. The remote programs each communicate with the host program to cause the selective replication of the annotations at others of the remote computers.

Remote collaboration system that stores annotations to the image at a

Remote collaboration among host computer running host program and remote

A system in which multiple computers engage in a collaborative video conference. One computer generates a common image which is distributed to the other computers. The invention allows the users of the other computers to annotate (that is, mark up, by drawings and text) the image at their respective computers. The invention replicates the annotations at the other computers. One type of annotation allowed is 'highlighting,' wherein a user drags a cursor across a display, and the invention leaves a colored trail behind the cursor, which is transparent, and does not obscure the underlying images.

Annotation of computer video displays

Collaborative system running application program for transmitting the

A video conferencing system, wherein multiple parties at different locations can view, and modify, a common image on their computer displays. The invention also provides a video camera at each computer, which takes a video picture of each party. The invention distributes data to all computers involved in the conference from which each computer can generate a display containing the common image, the modifications, and the video pictures.

Growing community of inventors

Batavia, IL, United States of America

Krista S Schwartz