Communication management apparatus, communication system, communication method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021286773-A1
Application number	US-202117169557-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Mar 13, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A communication management apparatus includes a memory and circuitry. The memory stores a hierarchical data structure in which each page of a plurality of pages forming a display screen shared by a plurality of communication terminals is associated with one or more objects included in the each page. The circuitry receives, from one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of the one or more objects. When editing of the particular object and editing of data in a lower layer associated with a higher layer of the particular object are both allowed, the circuitry transmits a success notification to the one communication terminal to notify success of the operation on the particular object.

First claim

1 . A communication management apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores a hierarchical data structure in which each page of a plurality of pages forming a display screen shared by a plurality of communication terminals is associated with one or more objects included in the each page; and circuitry configured to
receive, from one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of the one or more objects, and
when editing of the particular object and editing of data in a lower layer associated with a higher layer of the particular object are both allowed, transmit a success notification to the one communication terminal to notify success of the operation on the particular object.

2 . The communication management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the editing of the particular object is allowed but the editing of the data in the lower layer associated with the higher layer of the particular object is prohibited, the circuitry transmits an error notification to the one communication terminal to notify failure of the operation on the particular object.

3 . The communication management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores editability information representing editability of data in each of a plurality of layers forming the hierarchical data structure, and
wherein when one layer of the plurality of layers has a lower layer, the memory stores lower-layer editability information in association with the one layer, the lower-layer editability information representing editability of data in the lower layer.

4 . The communication management apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the circuitry determines editing authority of an operation target based on the editability information and the lower-layer editability information stored in the memory.

5 . The communication management apparatus of claim 4 , wherein when it is determined that there is editing authority to edit the operation target, the circuitry sets the editability information associated with the particular object to a locked status to indicate that the editing of the particular object is restricted, and
wherein when the editability information is set to the locked status, the circuitry determines that editing of the operation target is prohibited.

6 . The communication management apparatus of claim 5 , wherein when it is determined that there is editing authority to edit the operation target, the circuitry sets the lower-layer editability information in accordance with the operation corresponding to the operation request.

7 . The communication management apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the circuitry receives, from the one communication terminal, request information that requests setting of the editability of the data in the lower layer of the particular object, and
wherein the circuitry sets the lower-layer editability information in accordance with the request information.

8 . The communication management apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the particular object is a stroke image rendered on the display screen, and
wherein stroke data forming the stroke image and a page of the plurality of pages on which the stroke image is rendered are associated with each other in the hierarchical data structure stored in the memory.

9 . A communication system comprising:
the communication management apparatus of claim 1 ; and a communication terminal that shares a display screen with another communication terminal, the communication terminal including another circuitry configured to
receive an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of one or more objects included in a page forming the display screen, and
in response to receipt, from the communication management apparatus, of a success notification that notifies success of the operation on the particular object, cause a display to display the display screen to reflect the operation according to the operation request in the display screen.

10 . A communication method comprising:
storing, in a memory, a hierarchical data structure in which each page of a plurality of pages forming a display screen shared by a plurality of communication terminals is associated with one or more objects included in the each page; receiving, from one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of the one or more objects; and when editing of the particular object and editing of data in a lower layer associated with a higher layer of the particular object are both allowed, transmitting a success notification to the one communication terminal to notify success of the operation on the particular object.

11 . A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform a communication method comprising:
storing, in a memory, a hierarchical data structure in which each page of a plurality of pages forming a display screen shared by a plurality of communication terminals is associated with one or more objects included in the each page; receiving, from one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of the one or more objects; and when editing of the particular object and editing of data in a lower layer associated with a higher layer of the particular object are both allowed, transmitting a success notification to the one communication terminal to notify success of the operation on the particular object.

Assignees

• Homma Takeshi
• Hinohara Hiroshi
• Nakamura Shigeru
• Kawasaki Yuichi
• Ogasawara Masashi
• Miyamoto Atsushi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Homma Takeshi
• Hinohara Hiroshi
• Nakamura Shigeru
• Kawasaki Yuichi
• Ogasawara Masashi
• Miyamoto Atsushi

Classifications

• H04L65/40 Primary

  Support for services or applications · CPC title

• H04L65/80

  Responding to QoS · 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

• G06F21/79 Primary

  in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories · CPC title

• G06F21/84

  output devices, e.g. displays or monitors · CPC title