Integration of Videoconferencing with Interactive Electronic Whiteboard Appliances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017302887-A1
Application number	US-201715637006-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An interactive whiteboard appliance includes the capability to integrate and manage, in a user-friendly manner, interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions between the interactive whiteboard appliance and one or more client devices. An application manager executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance manages an interactive whiteboard application and a collaboration client executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance to maintain a videoconferencing session window on top of an interactive whiteboard session window during videoconferencing sessions. The application manager also provides graphical user interface controls displayed on the interactive whiteboard appliance that allow users to initiate and manage interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions, including switching between interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions. The approach may be implemented on interactive whiteboard appliances that are not natively configured to allow users to select and/or switch control between an interactive whiteboard session window and a videoconferencing session window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An interactive whiteboard appliance comprising:
a display; a communications interface; one or more processors; one or more memories; an operating system executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance; an interactive whiteboard process configured to support an interactive whiteboard session on the display of the interactive whiteboard appliance, wherein the interactive whiteboard session includes an interactive whiteboard content area for displaying content that is shared with one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance; a collaboration client configured to support one or more videoconferencing sessions with one or more collaboration clients executing on the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, wherein at least a portion of the videoconferencing session is arranged within the interactive whiteboard session, such that both the content of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session are displayed simultaneously; a manager component configured to:
cause a collaboration menu to be displayed, on the display of the interactive whiteboard appliance, wherein the collaboration menu includes one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session, controlling sharing of the content with the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, and controlling the videoconferencing session,
detect a user selection of a particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session, controlling sharing of the content with the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, and controlling the videoconferencing session,
manage display of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session in response to detecting the user selection of the particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session, controlling sharing of the content with the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, and controlling the videoconferencing session.

2 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 1 , wherein the manager component is further configured to maintain the videoconferencing session on top of the interactive whiteboard session during a videoconferencing session.

3 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 2 , wherein the manager component is further configured to maintain the videoconferencing session on top of the interactive whiteboard session during a videoconferencing session by specifying one or more values used by the operating system executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance.

4 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 2 , wherein the manager component is further configured to cause the interactive whiteboard session to be moved on top of the videoconferencing session in response to termination of the videoconferencing session.

5 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 1 , wherein the manager component is further configured to cause the interactive whiteboard session to be shared with the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance by invoking functionality provided by a collaboration library on the interactive whiteboard appliance.

6 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 1 , wherein the collaboration client is a Microsoft Lync client, the operating system is a Microsoft operating system and the manager component is configured to manage display of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session in response to detecting the user selection of the particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session by setting, in the Microsoft operating system, a topmost bit for one or more of the interactive whiteboard session or the videoconferencing session.

7 . The interactive whiteboard appliance of claim 1 , wherein the manager component is further configured to cause the collaboration menu to be updated in response to managing the display of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session in response to detecting the user selection of the particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the video conferencing session.

8 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:
a manager component executing on an interactive whiteboard appliance to:
cause a collaboration menu to be displayed on a display of the interactive whiteboard appliance, wherein the collaboration menu includes one or more controls for switching between an interactive whiteboard session and a videoconferencing session that is displayed by a collaboration client executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance, controlling sharing of content between the interactive whiteboard appliance and one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, and controlling the videoconferencing session, wherein the interactive whiteboard session includes an interactive whiteboard content area for displaying content that is shared with the one or more client devices that are external to the interactive whiteboard appliance, and wherein at least a portion of the videoconferencing session is arranged within the interactive whiteboard session, such that both the content of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session are displayed simultaneously,
detect a user selection of a particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session, controlling sharing of the content with the one or more client devices, and controlling the videoconferencing session,
manage display of the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session in response to detecting the user selection of the particular control from the one or more controls for switching between the interactive whiteboard session and the videoconferencing session, controlling sharing of the content with the one or more client devices, and controlling the videoconferencing session.

9 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the manager component to maintain the videoconferencing session on top of the interactive whiteboard session during a videoconferencing session.

10 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the manager component to maintain the videoconferencing session on top of the interactive whiteboard session during a videoconferencing session by specifying one or more values used by the operating system executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the manager component to cause the interactive whiteboard session to be moved on top of the videoconferencing session in response to termination of the videoconferencing session.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media

Assignees

• Nelson Steven
• Wong Lana
• Kitada Hiroshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nelson Steven
• Wong Lana
• Kitada Hiroshi

Classifications

• H04N7/155 Primary

  involving storage of or access to video conference sessions (tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831) · CPC title

• H04L12/1813

  for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms (instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L12/1827

  Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation · CPC title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title