Video conference with shared whiteboard and recording
One or more users log in to a video conference with a shared, online electronic whiteboard and draw upon a shared whiteboard. Each user has a video and audio stream that are sent to a recording server. Data describing each drawing action upon the shared whiteboard is sent to a database server and each action is then distributed to all users to update their whiteboards. Screenshots of the drawing actions are created by emulating a browser and inputting data describing each action from the database. Alternatively, screenshots are taken by each user computer (after each action or periodically) and sent to the recording server. Audiovisual manipulation software is used to create a whiteboard video from the screenshots are then combined with the audio and video streams to create a resulting video of the entire session. A video clip is created simply by sending begin and end timestamps during the session.
1. A method of displaying a shared whiteboard, said method comprising:
displaying a shared whiteboard on a screen of a first computing device and on a screen of a second computing device;
receiving a first drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said first computing device and displaying said first drawing action on said first computing device;
comparing, on said first computing device, a current version of said shared whiteboard on said first computing device that includes said first drawing action with an earlier version of said shared whiteboard on said first computing device that does not include said first drawing action in order to determine at least first data that is used to render said first drawing action on said first computing device, wherein said current version and said earlier version not being images;
based upon said comparing, sending said first data representing said first drawing action from said first computing device to a shared database of a remote server computer, said first data not being an image, a screenshot or a video of said first drawing action; and
sending said first data from said shared database to said second computing device and displaying said first drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said second computing device using said first data, whereby said shared whiteboard appears the same on both said first and second computing devices.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first data is a plurality of points within said shared whiteboard.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
both of said first and second computing devices subscribing to said shared whiteboard.
4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said first and second computing devices subscribe to said shared whiteboard by referencing the same unique session identifier.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
sending said first data from said shared database to all computing devices which have subscribed to said shared whiteboard.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
sending said first data after detecting an end to said first drawing action.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 further wherein said current version includes at least a second drawing action other than said first drawing action that is not present in said earlier version, wherein said comparing also determines at least second data representing said second drawing action, said method further comprising:
sending said second data to said shared database; and
sending said second data from said shared database to said second computing device and displaying said second drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said second computing device, whereby said shared whiteboard appears the same on both said first and second computing devices.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a second drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said second computing device and displaying said second drawing action on said second computing device;
sending second data representing said second drawing action to a shared database of a remote server computer, said second data not being an image, a screenshot or a video of said first drawing action; and
sending said second data from said shared database to said first computing device and displaying said second drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said first computing device, whereby said shared whiteboard appears the same on both said first and second computing devices.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said shared whiteboard is displayed within a video conference application on said first and second computing devices.
10. A system of displaying a shared whiteboard, said system comprising:
a remote server computer arranged to send data from a shared database to a second computing device;
a first computing device arranged to
display a shared whiteboard on a screen of said first computing device,
receive a first drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said first computing device and display said first drawing action on said first computing device,
compare, on said first computing device, a current version of said shared whiteboard on said first computing device that includes said first drawing action with an earlier version of said shared whiteboard on said first computing device that does not include said first drawing action in order to determine at least first data that is used to render said first drawing action on said first computing device, wherein said current version and said earlier version not being images, and
based upon said compare, send said first data representing said first drawing action from said first computing device to a shared database of said remote server computer, said first data not being an image, a screenshot or a video of said first drawing action; and
said second computing device arranged to
display said shared whiteboard on a screen of said second computing device,
receive said first data from said first computing device via said shared database of said remote server computer, and
display said first drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said second computing device using said first data, whereby said shared whiteboard appears the same on both said first and second computing devices.
11. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein said first data is a plurality of points within said shared whiteboard.
12. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein both of said first and second computing devices subscribe to said shared whiteboard.
13. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein said first and second computing devices subscribe to said shared whiteboard by referencing the same unique session identifier.
14. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein said remote server computer being further arranged to send said first data from said shared database to all computing devices which have subscribed to said shared whiteboard.
15. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein said first computing device being further arranged to send said first data after detecting an end to said first drawing action.
16. A system as recited in claim 10 further wherein said current version includes at least a second drawing action other than said first drawing action that is not present in said earlier version, wherein said compare also determines at least second data representing said second drawing action, said first computing device being further arranged to send said second data to said shared database, said remote server computer being further arranged to send said second data from said shared database to said second computing device, and wherein said second computing device being further arranged to display said second drawing action on said shared whiteboard of said second computing device, whereby said shared whiteboard appears the same on both said first and second computing devices.
17. A system as recited in claim 10 wherein said shared whiteboard is displayed within a video conference application on said first and second computing devices.