Desktop sharing method and system

1 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data within a selected display region of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer; and

displaying the identified image data at said at least one other computer.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is adjustable.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is dynamically adjustable.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein said selected display region is dynamically adjusted by moving a border within window frame, the area encompassed by said border constituting said selected display region.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said selected display region is sized to exclude one or more controls displayed by said one computer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying in a toolbar in the selected display region of said one computer, said toolbar being displayed at said at least one other computer.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein movement of the toolbar in the selected display region of said one computer results in movement of said toolbar being displayed at said at least one other computer.

8 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

dividing image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer into a plurality of tiles;

examining the image data in the tiles to determine the nature thereof;

compressing the image data in the tiles using a compression methodology selected based on the determined nature; and

transmitting the compressed image data to said at least one other computer for display.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein during said compressing, at least two compression methodologies are available to compress the image data.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein one of said at least two compression methodologies is lossless and another of said at least two compression methodologies is lossy.

11 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer during a presentation;

transmitting the identified image data to said at least one other computer for display; and

providing feedback at at least one of said one and other computers concerning the position of the at least one other computer within the presentation.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the feedback is visual and is provided at both of said one and other computers.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the feedback identifies when the at least one other computer falls behind in the presentation.

14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:

forcing the at least one other computer is selectively forced to catch up in the presentation.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one other computer is forced to catch up in the presentation if the at least one other computer falls behind by a pre-determined period of time in the presentation.

16 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

identifying image data of one computer that is to be shared with at least one other computer during a presentation;

transmitting the identified image data to said at least one other computer for display;

detecting other computers that fall behind in the presentation; and

forcing other computers that fell behind in the presentation to catch up.

17 . In a distributed computer network, a method of inviting a user to participate in an interactive session, comprising:

sending a message with a URL to the user, said URL identifying the address of a conferencing application enabling participation in the interactive session;

receiving a request from the user for the conferencing application;

associating the request with the session; and

transmitting the conferencing application and data identifying the session to the user.

18 . A method of providing version control in an application, comprising:

executing an original version of the application, the original version residing in a permanent location;

retrieving a desired version of an application and storing the desired version in a temporary location;

executing the desired version in the temporary location;

terminating the execution of the original version of the application;

copying the desired version over the original version at the permanent location with the executing desired version;

executing the desired version at the permanent location; and

terminating execution of the desired version at the temporary location.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

removing the desired version of the application at the temporary location.

20 . A method of installing components dynamically on a computer, comprising:

determining with an application that a component containing functionality required by the application is not available on the computer;

retrieving the component containing the required functionality with the application; and

accessing the required functionality with the application.

21 . In a conferencing system operating over a distributed computer network, a method of transmitting streaming video to a client from a plurality of streaming video sources, the client presenting a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames displaying streaming video from a separate streaming video source, the method comprising:

determining if a frame associated with streaming video has been hidden; and

terminating the transmission of streaming video associated with said hidden frame.

22 . In a conferencing system operating over a distributed computer network, a method of transmitting streaming video to a client from a plurality of streaming video sources, the client presenting a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of frames displaying streaming video from a separate streaming video source, the method comprising:

transmitting streaming video to the client from each separate streaming video source at a frame rate at least partially dependent on the size of the frame in which each separate streaming video source is displayed.

23 . In a conferencing application, a method of displaying streaming video from a plurality of streaming video sources, the method comprising:

presenting each of said plurality of streaming video sources in a plurality of frames, one of said frames being larger than the other of said frames;

detecting when a smaller frame has been selected; and

switching the position and size of said one frame and said selected smaller frame.

24 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying shared images comprising the steps of:

enabling a first participant to generate annotations on a shared region of a desktop of one computer; and

displaying the annotations on the shared region of the desktop on a second computer.

25 . The method of displaying shared images of claim 24 , further comprising:

enabling a second participant to generate annotations on the shared region of the desktop via the second computer; and

displaying the annotations on the shared region of the desktop on the first computer.

26 . The method of displaying shared images of claim 25 , wherein said annotations generated on the first computer are distinguishable from the annotations generated on the second computer.

27 . The method of displaying shared images of claim 26 , wherein said annotations generated on the first computer are displayed in a first color and the annotations generated on the second computer are displayed in a second color that is distinguishable from the first color.

28 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a first computer's desktop with a second computer; and

modifying the display of said region at said second computer to identify displayed controls unavailable to the second computer.

29 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a first computer's desktop with a second computer; and

modifying the display of said region at said second computer to identify displayed applications unavailable to the second computer.

30 . The method of displaying a shared desktop of claim 29 , further comprising:

presenting a list of applications on the first computer to permit the user to select which of said applications are to be hidden.

31 . A desktop sharing application, comprising:

a shared display region;

said desktop sharing application being dynamically conditionable between a host mode, wherein said shared display region displays a shared region of the desktop of a computer upon which the desktop sharing application is executing, and a client mode, wherein said shared display region displays a shared region of the desktop of another computer executing the desktop sharing application conditioned in host mode with which said desktop sharing application is in communication.

32 . In a distributed computer network where displayed information is shared between at least two computers, a method of displaying a shared desktop comprising the steps of:

sharing a region of a desktop on a first computer with a second computer;

receiving by the first computer a request from the second computer to share a region of the second computer's desktop; and

sharing the region of the second computer's desktop with the first computer.