Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-24
2001-09-18
Brier, Jeffery (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
C345S003100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292166
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The disclosed invention relates generally to collaborative software tools and more specifically to a system for sharing graphics information having diverse display types across a computer network.
BACKGROUND
As computer networks, the Internet, and distributed computing have developed, members of project teams have become increasingly able to work from different physical locations. Tools such as electronic mail, notes conferences, the world wide web (WWW) and remote file transfer provide a first level of communication between team members. At times, however, there is required the ability to enable multiple team members at differing physical locations to simultaneously view and/or interact with any computer program or set of data. All participating team members must be able to provide inputs, and see the results of their own and other team members' inputs in real time. Such functionality is provided in general by software products referred to as “collaborative tools”.
Existing collaborative tools often employ a protocol level splitting approach in which windowing protocol messages are captured at each client system and sent to a server system. Such existing systems have significant shortcomings. Specifically, in existing collaboration tools, only a single application program may be shared at one time. Existing collaborative tools also only permit sharing of two dimensional graphics applications between users having two dimensional graphics display devices. Accordingly, existing collaborative tools are incapable of conveniently sharing two and three dimensional graphics applications between users on both two and three dimensional graphics display devices. In addition, existing collaborative tools do not permit sharing of any partial displays of shared applications. Instead, existing systems require a single shared application to be completely displayed to each client.
Moreover, where a collaborative tool is made available, its potential users may not all be working from exactly the same hardware or software display technology. Different display technology may use different formats of pixels. For example, different users may have pixel formats which use different numbers of bits for color information, and which use the color information in each pixel in different ways. Accordingly any new collaborative tool which shares information based on pixels must provide some way to resolve the differences between the pixel formats used on diverse systems.
Thus, it is desirable to have a collaborative tool which allows multiple users on systems using differing pixel formats to share information across a network. Such a new system should advantageously permit multiple application programs to be shared simultaneously, and allow two and three dimensional graphics information to be shared with users on both two and three dimensional display devices, and enable team members to share partial displays of application windows.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A new system for resolving differences in pixel format is disclosed for use in a collaborative software tool. In a first aspect, the disclosed system determines a frequency distribution of color values within pixels forming a bit map of the display of the shared region on the server system. The disclosed system further forms a color ramp responsive to the frequency distribution of color values. The color ramp includes a number of color ramp entries, where each one of the color ramp entries includes an output color value associated with one or more input color values. The color ramp is then transmitted to a client system. The client system converts pixels received from the server system based on the contents of the color ramp. Further in the example embodiment, the client system converts pixels received from the server system using a color conversion table generated based on the contents of the received color ramp.
Thus there is disclosed a system which allows multiple users on systems using differing pixel formats to share information across a network. The disclosed system advantageously permits multiple application programs to be shared simultaneously, and allows two and three dimensional graphics information to be shared with users on both two and three dimensional display devices, and enables team members to share partial displays of application windows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5430465 (1995-07-01), Sabella et al.
patent: 5696539 (1997-12-01), Welti et al.
“An X Imaging Server” by Larry Palmer and Ricky Palmer, published Nov. 4, 1987.
Palmer Lawrence George
Palmer Ricky Samuel
Brier Jeffery
Compaq Computer Corporation
Williams Morgan & Amerson P.C.
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