Method, apparatus, and system for supporting multi-party collaboration between a plurality of client computers in communication with a server

摘要

Systems, apparatus and methods related to multiple-party communications between client computers and a server in a computer network are described. A described method includes receiving, at the server from at least first one of the clients, input messages containing user input of information representing cursor movements on the first client, information identifying a content entry position with respect to the meeting content displayed on the first client, or information identifying content input by a user of the first client for display at the content entry position; transmitting output messages that include information representing either of the content entry position or the content input by the user to each of the clients; and transmitting output messages that represent said cursor movements to ones of the clients to which all output messages that include information representing either of the content entry position or the content input by the user have been transmitted.

主权项

1. A method implemented on a server for supporting multi-party communications between a plurality of client computers in communication with the server in a computer network, each client computer having meeting content displayed on an associated display area of the client computer, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of input messages at a network interface of the server from at least one of the plurality of client computers, the input messages representing user input, the input messages including (i) cursor messages including information representing cursor movements on the at least one client computer, (ii) entry position messages including information identifying a content entry position with respect to the meeting content displayed on the at least one client computer, and (iii) content messages including information identifying content input by a user of the at least one client computer for display at the content entry position; causing a processor circuit of the server to produce an output message for each of said input messages, each output message including information corresponding to the information included in the respective input message; causing the network interface of the server to transmit all entry position output messages and all content output messages to each of the plurality of client computers; and for each client computer in the plurality of client computers:
if all entry position output messages and all content output messages have previously been transmitted to the client computer, causing the network interface of the server to transmit cursor output messages to the client computer;else if all entry position output messages and all content output messages have not yet been transmitted to the client computer, causing the network interface of the server to inhibit transmission of cursor output messages to the client computer.