IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,762
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,762 · App. 18/102,459 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Annotation anchor for screen sharing

Inventor: Gregory Wright (Cameron Park, CA)
Assignee: Zoom Communications, Inc.
H04N7/152G06F3/1454G06T11/203G06V10/16G06V10/761H04N5/265H04N7/155
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,762
App. No.
18/102,459
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing annotations that anchor to a background during a screen share presentation. The systems and methods include steps for receiving a video conference stream at a client device, displaying a shared screen within a content window of the video conference stream on a display in communication with the client device, receiving one or more annotations from a user input device in communication with the client device, capturing one or more snapshots for the one or more annotations, anchoring the annotation to content from the shared screen within the content window using the one or more snapshots, and situating the one or more annotations within the content window based on the anchoring.

Claims (59)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a video conference stream at a client device;

displaying a shared screen within a content window of the video conference stream on a display in communication with the client device;

receiving one or more annotations from a user input device in communication with the client device;

capturing one or more snapshots of one or more portions of the shared screen associated with the one or more annotations;

anchoring the annotation to content of the shared screen within the content window comprising matching the one or more snapshots with the content of the shared screen; and

situating the one or more annotations within the content window based on the anchoring.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a pointer, text, a line, an outline, a shape, a drawing, a stamp, and a highlight.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more snapshots comprises a snapshot of the content window when the one or more annotations is received.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

capturing a first snapshot of the content window when a first annotation is received;

capturing a second snapshot of the content window when a second annotation is received; and

stitching together the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more snapshots comprises a snapshot of a portion of a content layer within the content window proximate to a location that the one or more annotations is received.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

comparing the snapshot of the portion of the content layer to the shared screen within the content window;

determining that the snapshot of the portion of the content layer matches a portion of the shared screen within the content window; and

overlaying an annotation layer over the matched portion of the shared screen within the content window.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the one or more snapshots comprises a grid or array of snapshots associated with each of the one or more annotations.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a recording of the video conference stream, the recording including a content layer and an annotation layer.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive a video conference stream at a client device;

display a shared screen within a content window of the video conference stream on a display in communication with the client device;

receive one or more annotations from a user input device in communication with the client device;

capture one or more snapshots corresponding to one or more portions of the shared screen associated with the one or more annotations;

anchor the annotation to content of the shared screen within the content window comprising matching the one or more snapshots with the content of the shared screen; and

situate the one or more annotations within the content window based on the anchoring.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a pointer, text, a line, an outline, a shape, a drawing, a stamp, and a highlight.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising:

capturing a first snapshot of the content window when a first annotation is received;

capturing a second snapshot of the content window when a second annotation is received; and

stitching together the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more snapshots comprises a snapshot of a portion of a content layer within the content window proximate to a location that the one or more annotations is received.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising:

comparing the snapshot of the portion of the content layer to the shared screen within the content window;

determining that the snapshot of the portion of the content layer matches a portion of the shared screen within the content window; and

overlaying an annotation layer over the matched portion of the shared screen within the content window.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein each of the one or more snapshots comprises a grid or array of snapshots associated with each of the one or more annotations.

15. A device comprising:

a communications interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:

receive a video conference stream at a client device;

display a shared screen within a content window of the video conference stream on a display in communication with the client device;

receive one or more annotations from a user input device in communication with the client device;

capture one or more snapshots corresponding to one or more portions of the shared screen associated with the one or more annotations;

anchor the one or more annotations to content of the shared screen within the content window comprising matching the one or more snapshots with the content of the shared screen; and

situate the one or more annotations within the content window based on the anchoring.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a pointer, text, a line, an outline, a shape, a drawing, a stamp, and a highlight.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

capturing a first snapshot of the content window when a first annotation is received;

capturing a second snapshot of the content window when a second annotation is received; and

stitching together the first snapshot and the second snapshot.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more snapshots comprises a snapshot of a portion of a content layer within the content window proximate to a location that the one or more annotations is received.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

comparing the snapshot of the portion of the content layer to the shared screen within the content window;

determining that the snapshot of the portion of the content layer matches a portion of the shared screen within the content window; and

overlaying an annotation layer over the matched portion of the shared screen within the content window.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein each of the one or more snapshots comprises a grid or array of snapshots associated with each of the one or more annotations.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 28, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 072286/0609 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2023
From: WRIGHT, GREGORY
To: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062533/0903 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240259526A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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