Method and system for presentation conferencing

United States Patent [w]

Tafoya et al.

[54] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR

PRESENTATION CONFERENCING

[75] Inventors: John E. Tafoya, Santa Clara; Robert L. C. Parker, Cupertino, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.

[21] Appl. No.: 651,779

[22] Filed: May 22, 1996

[51] Int. CI. G06F 15 16

[52] U.S. CI 395/200.34; 395/200.33;

395/200.35; 395/200.38; 395/200.78; 345/330;

345/331; 345/329; 370/260; 370/270

[58] Field of Search 395/200.3-200.34,

395/200.35, 329-331, 335, 339, 971-972, 200.78, 200.38; 364/242.4, 242.6, 242.94, 242.96, 284.4; 370/260, 270

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,204,768 4/1993 Tsakiris et al 359/148

5,206^934 4/1993 Naef, III 395/200.34

5.303,042 4/1994 Lewis et al 348/14

5,392,400 2/1995 Berkowitz et al 395/200.33

5,465,370 11/1995 Ito et al 395/200.34

5,524,199 6/1996 Orton et al 395/340

5,583,993 12/1996 Foster et al 395/200.35

5,608,872 3/1997 Schwartz et al 395/200.35

5,617,539 4/1997 Ludwig et al 395/200.35

5,634,018 5/1997 Tanikoshi et al 395/329

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Schroeder, Erica "PictureTel Plans Low-Cost Video App Sharing," PCWEEK, vol. 11, No. 25, Jun. 27, 1994, pp. 1 and 171.

IIIIIIH

US005822525A

[ii] Patent Number: 5,822,525

[45] Date of Patent: Oct. 13, 1998

Schroeder, Erica, "Creative Brings Mac Package to Windows," PCWEEK, vol. 11, No. 25, Jun. 27, 1994, pp. 83 and 88.

"Intel ProShareTM Personal Conferencing Software," Intel Corporation, 1994, pp. 25-31.

Harvard Spotlight for WindowsTM, Software Publishing Corporation, Santa Clara, California, 10 pages, 1994.

Harvard Spotlight—The Presenter's Ultimate Control Panel, Software Publishing Corporation, 8 pages, Online, Available HTTP: http://www.spco.com/products/spotlite, May 16, 1996..

Primary Examiner—Emanuel Todd Volltz

Assistant Examiner—Tuan Q. Dam

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Seedand Berry, LLP

[57] ABSTRACT

A presentation system for displaying a presentation at multiple computer systems. One computer system is designated as a presenter computer system, and the other computer systems are designated as audience member computer systems. Each computer system executes an application that exposes a function for controlling the behavior of the application. Each computer system also has a conference subsystem with a messaging component, an automation component, and a user interface component. The messaging component controls communications between the computer systems. The automation component controls the behavior of the application using the exposed function. The user interface component displays the presentation within a conference window, receives commands from a presenter and sends the commands to each audience member computer system, receives commands from the presenter computer system, and directs the automation component to effect the performing of behavior of the received commands.

30 Claims, 44 Drawing Sheets