Abstract:
A method for locking or prohibiting an access to at least one object in an electronic conferencing system, includes the steps of: a) initiating an electronic conference in the conference initiator system having an electronic whiteboard, the electronic whiteboard containing at least one object; b) participating conference participant systems in the electronic conference, thereby sharing the electronic whiteboard with the conference initiator system; c) sending a lock request corresponding to the object from a conference participant system to the conference initiator system in order to obtain the priority over the access to the object corresponding to the lock request from the conference initiator system or prohibit the access to the object performed by another conference participant system not having the priority; and d) giving a priority over an access to the object to the conference participant system according to a sequence of lock requests in response to the lock request.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electronic conferencing system; and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method, for use in the electronic conferencing system, for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object displayed on a shared electronic whiteboard. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Generally, an electronic conferencing system is employed in an electronic conference. The electronic conferencing system includes a session initiator system as a conference initiator system and a plurality of session participant systems as conference participant systems. The session initiator system initiates the electronic conference. One of the session participant systems participates in the electronic conference initiated by the session initiator system. The session initiator system and the session participant systems are implemented as a personal computer. During a session between the session initiator system and the session participant systems is ongoing, the session initiator system and the session participant systems share a media component, i.e., an electronic whiteboard, to perform a collaborative work through the electronic whiteboard. The session is a state where the session initiator system and at least one session participant system communicate with each other. 
     The electronic whiteboard includes a plurality of whiteboard pages. One of the whiteboard pages includes a plurality of objects. The session initiator system needs to give a priority over a designated object to a session participant system so that another session participant system, not taking the priority, can not access the designated object displayed on the shared electronic whiteboard. Further, the session initiator system needs to effectively lock or prohibit the access to the designated object from another session participant system not taking the priority. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object displayed on a shared electronic whiteboard by allowing only a conference participant system, having a priority over the designated object, to access the designated object. 
     It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object displayed on a shared electronic whiteboard by allowing only a conference participant system, having a priority over the designated object, to access the designated object. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for locking or prohibiting an access to at least one object, comprising: a conference initiator means having an electronic whiteboard for initiating an electronic conference, the electronic whiteboard containing at least one object, wherein said conference initiator means gives a priority over an access to the object according to a sequence of lock requests; and a plurality of conference participant means for participating in the electronic conference, thereby sharing the electronic whiteboard with said conference initiator means, wherein one of said conference participant means sends a lock request corresponding to the object to said conference initiator means in order to obtain the priority over the access to the object corresponding to the lock request from said conference initiator means or prohibit the access to the object performed by said conference participant means not having the priority. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic conferencing system for locking or prohibiting an access to at least one object, comprising: a conference initiator means having an electronic whiteboard for initiating an electronic conference, the electronic whiteboard containing at least one object, wherein said conference initiator means gives a priority over an access to the object according to a sequence of lock requests; and a plurality of conference participant means for participating in the electronic conference, thereby sharing the electronic whiteboard with said conference initiator means, wherein one of said conference participant means sends a lock request corresponding to the object to said conference initiator means in order to obtain the priority over the access to the object corresponding to the lock request from said conference initiator means or prohibit the access to the object performed by said conference participant means not having the priority. 
     In accordance with further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for locking or prohibiting an access to at least one object in an electronic conferencing system, comprising the steps of: a) initiating an electronic conference in the conference initiator system having an electronic whiteboard, the electronic whiteboard containing at least one object; b) participating conference participant systems in the electronic conference, thereby sharing the electronic whiteboard with the conference initiator system; c) sending a lock request corresponding to the object from a conference participant system to the conference initiator system in order to obtain the priority over the access to the object corresponding to the lock request from the conference initiator system or prohibit the access to the object performed by another conference participant system not having the priority; and d) giving a priority over an access to the object to the conference participant system according to a sequence of lock requests in response to the lock request. 
     In accordance with furthermore another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for locking or prohibiting an access to at least one object in an electronic conferencing system, comprising the steps of: a) initiating an electronic conference in the conference initiator system having an electronic whiteboard, the electronic whiteboard containing at least one object; b) participating conference participant systems in the electronic conference, thereby sharing the electronic whiteboard with the conference initiator system; c) sending a lock request corresponding to the object from a conference participant system to the conference initiator system in order to obtain the priority over the access to the object corresponding to the lock request from the conference initiator system or prohibit the access to the object performed by another conference participant system not having the priority; and d) giving a priority over an access to the object to the conference participant system according to a sequence of lock requests in response to the lock request. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and features of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic conferencing system to which the present invention is applied; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a session initiator system shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an electronic whiteboard apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  are flowcharts describing a method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object by controlling a command sequence in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram illustrating an electronic conferencing system to which the present invention is applied. As shown, the electronic conferencing system includes a global session manager (GSM) system  100 , session initiator systems  200  as conference initiator systems having media components (not shown) and session participant systems  300  as conference participant systems having the media components. The electronic conferencing system is based on Internet, a wide area network (WAN) and a local area network (LAN). The session initiator and participant systems  200  and  300  can be implemented as a personal computer. 
     The GSM system  100 , coupled to the common communication line  600 , globally manages session information necessary for an electronic conference, wherein the session information includes a session identifier, information of available session resources and a list of sessions. When the session between the GSM system  100  and a session initiator system  200  is established, the GSM system  100  allocates the session identifier and the available session resources to the session initiator system  200 . 
     The session initiator system  200 , coupled to the common communication line  600 , initiates and creates the session by obtaining the session identifier and the available session resources from the GSM system  100 . 
     When a session-participant system  300 , coupled to the common communication line  600 , wants to participate in the session, the session participant system  300  selects the session in the list of sessions from the GSM system  100 . Then, the session participant system  300  obtains the session identifier and the available session resources necessary for the session from the GSM system  100 . Thus, the session participant systems  300  participate in the session initiated and created by the session initiator system  200 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a block diagram illustrating a session initiator system shown in FIG.  1 . As shown, a session initiator system  200  includes an application  210 , a conference manager  220 , a component pool  230 , a component manager  240  and a transport manager  250 . A structure of the session initiator system  200  is the same as that of a session participant system  300  shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The application  210  of the session initiator system  200  is interfaced between a GSM system  100  and the session initiator system  200 . Further, the application  210  of the session participant system  300  is interfaced with the session initiator system  200 . 
     The conference manager  220  of the session initiator system  200  manages session information including information of session participant systems  300 , and creates the component pool  230  and the component manager  240 . Further, the conference manager  220  of the session participant system  300  manages session information including information of the session initiator system  200 . 
     The component pool  230  of the session initiator system  200  displays the session information including the information of the session participant systems  300  from the conference manager  220 . Further, the component pool  230  of the session participant system  300  displays the session information including the information of the session initiator system  200  from the conference manager  220 . 
     The component manager  240  of the session initiator system  200  or the session participant system  300  allocates an identifier to a media component. The media component includes a chatter, a messenger, a digital carousel, an electronic whiteboard and the like. Further, the component manager  240  of the session initiator system  200  or the session participant system  300  adds or deletes the media component. 
     The transport manager  250  of the session initiator system  200  or the session participant system  300  supports a dynamic port and a transmission protocol. The transmission protocol includes a transmission control protocol (TCP), a user datagram protocol (UDP), an Internet protocol (IP), a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) and so on. Further, the transport manager  250  sends a packet from the session initiator system  200  to the session participant system  300  or from the session participant system  300  to the session initiator system  200 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an electronic whiteboard apparatus in accordance with the present invention, wherein the electronic whiteboard apparatus is contained in a component pool shown in FIG.  2 . As shown, an electronic whiteboard apparatus  312  includes a user interface  321 , a graphic and text tool  322 , an object manager  323 , a lock manager  324 , a packet generator  325 , a command sequence controller  326 , a packet analyzer  327  and an electronic whiteboard  328 . The electronic whiteboard  328  includes a plurality of whiteboard pages and one of the whiteboard pages has a plurality of objects containing a graphic object and a text object. 
     The user interface  321 , interfaced with a user, receives a user request from the user of a session initiator system  200  shown in FIG.  1 . The user interface  321  sends the user request to the graphic and text tool  322  or the object manager  323 . 
     The graphic and text tool  322 , coupled to the user interface  321 , generates a graphic or text object on the electronic whiteboard in response to the user request. 
     The object manager  323 , coupled to the user interface  321  and the graphic and text tool  322 , manages and changes information of the graphic or text object locked by a lock request received from the user of a session initiator system  200  shown in FIG.  1 . The object manager  323  designates the graphic or text object in response to a lock request as the user request. Then, the object manager  323  sends the lock request corresponding to the designated graphic or text object to the packet generator  325 . 
     The lock state determination block  324 , coupled to the object manager  323 , determines whether a designated graphic or text object has been locked. 
     The packet generator  325  generates a lock request packet if the designated graphic or text object has been locked by the lock request received from one of the session participant systems  300  or the session initiator system  200 . Then, the packet generator  325  sends the lock request packet to the session participant systems  300  coupled to the session initiator system  200 . 
     Further, the packet generator  325  generates a lock release command request. The packet generator  325  sends the lock release command request to a session participant system  300  that has first sent the lock request packet to the session initiator system  200 . 
     The packet analyzer  327  analyzes packets received from the session participant systems  300 . The packet analyzer  327  determines whether the packets include a lock request packet. If the packets include the lock request packet, the packet analyzer  327  sends the lock request packet to the command sequence controller  326 . If the packets do not include the lock request packet, the packet analyzer  327  sends the packets to the object manager  323 . At this time, the object manager  323  identifies the graphic or text object corresponding to each packet. Then, the object manager  323  changes a state of the graphic or text object corresponding to each packet. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 to  6 , there are shown flowcharts describing a method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object by controlling a command sequence in accordance with the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object by controlling a command sequence in a session initiator system when the session initiator system receives a packet from one of session participant systems. 
     At step S 402 , a transport manager  250  of the session initiator system  200  shown in FIG. 3 receives the packet from the one of session participant systems. 
     At step S 404 , a packet analyzer  327  of the session initiator system  200  shown in FIG. 3 analyzes the packet received from the transport manager  250 . 
     At step S 406 , the packet analyzer  327  determines whether the packet is a lock request packet. 
     At step S 408 , if the packet is not the lock request packet, an object manager  323  of the session initiator system  200  shown in FIG. 3 identifies a graphic or text object corresponding to the packet. 
     At step S 410 , the object manager  323  changes a state of the graphic or text object corresponding to the packet. 
     At step S 412 , if the packet is the lock request packet, a command sequence controller  326  of the session initiator system  200  shown in FIG. 3 determines whether there is another lock request packet with respect to the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request packet. 
     At step S 414 , if there is another lock request packet with respect to the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request packet, the command sequence controller  326  compares a transmission time of the lock request packet with that of another lock request packet to control a sequence of object lock commands. The lock request packet and another lock request packet have information of the transmission time, respectively. 
     At step S 416 , a packet generator  325  of the session initiator system shown in FIG. 3 generates a lock command packet. 
     At step S 418 , the packet generator  325  sends the lock command packet to all the session participant systems coupled to the session initiator system. 
     At step S 420 , the packet generator  325  generates a lock release command packet. 
     At step S 422 , a transport manager  250  shown in FIG. 3 sends the lock release command packet to a session participant system, which has sent a lock request packet having the information of an early transmission time to the session initiator system. At this time, only the session participant system receiving the lock release command packet has a priority over a designated graphic or text object to access the designated graphic or text object displayed on a shared electronic whiteboard. 
     If there is not another lock request packet with respect to the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request packet, the packet generator  325  generates the lock command packet. Then, the packet generator  325  sends the lock command packet to all the session participant systems. Then, the packet generator  325  generates the lock release command packet. Then, the packet generator  325  sends the lock release command packet to the session participant system, which has sent the lock request packet to the session initiator system. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a method for locking or prohibiting an access to a designated object by controlling a command sequence in a session initiator system when a user interface of the session initiator system shown in FIG. 3 receives a lock request as a user request received from a user. 
     At step S 502 , a user interface  321  contained in an electronic whiteboard apparatus  312  shown in FIG. 3 receives the lock request from the user. 
     At step S 504 , an object manager  323  contained in the electronic whiteboard apparatus  312  shown in FIG. 3 determines whether a graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request exists on an electronic whiteboard  328  shown in FIG.  3 . 
     At step S 506 , if the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request does not exist on the electronic whiteboard  328 , a graphic and text tool  322  generates the graphic or text object on the electronic whiteboard  328  in response to the user request. 
     At step S 508 , if the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request exists on the electronic whiteboard  328 , the object manager  323  designates the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request. 
     At step S 510 , the object manager  323  determines whether there is another lock request corresponding to the designated graphic or text object. 
     At step S 512 , if there is another lock request corresponding to the designated graphic or text object, the command sequence controller compares request-time information of the lock request with that of another lock request. 
     At step S 514 , a packet generator  325  shown in FIG. 3 generates a lock command packet. 
     At step S 516 , a transport manager  250  sends the lock command packet to all the session participant systems. 
     If there is not another lock request with respect to the designated graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request, the packet generator  325  generates the lock command packet at step  514 . Then, the packet generator  325  sends the lock command packet to all the session participant systems at step  516 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a procedure of sending a lock request packet when a user interface  321  of a session participant system shown in FIG. 3 receives a lock request as a user request received from a user. 
     At step S 602 , the user interface  321  contained in an electronic whiteboard apparatus  312  shown in FIG. 3 receives the lock request from the user. 
     At step S 604 , an object manager  323  contained in the electronic whiteboard apparatus  312  shown in FIG. 3 determines whether a graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request exists on an electronic whiteboard  328  shown in FIG.  3 . 
     At step S 606 , if the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request does not exist on the electronic whiteboard  328 , a graphic and text tool  322  generates the graphic or text object on the electronic whiteboard  328  in response to the user request. 
     At step S 608 , if the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request exists on the electronic whiteboard  328 , the object manager  323  designates the graphic or text object corresponding to the lock request. 
     At step S 610 , a lock state determination block  324  determines whether the graphic or text object has been locked. 
     At step S 612 , if the graphic or text object has been locked, the packet generator  325  generates a lock request packet. 
     At step S 614 , a transport manager  250  shown in FIG. 3 sends the lock request packet to a session initiator system. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.