Patent ID: 8910057

Claim:
A method comprising: selectively retrieving, by a local computer from a memory, image pixel data operable to completely display one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application, by providing a set of shared window identifiers to an application programming interface provided by an operating system on said local computer, wherein each shared window identifier in said set of shared window identifiers identifies a corresponding one of said user interface windows associated with said shared application, wherein said selective retrieving is prior to said image pixel data operable to completely display said user interface windows associated with said at least one shared application being composited into a display image representing a current view in a user interface of said local computer, and wherein said selective retrieving excludes retrieval of image pixel data operable to display at least one non-shared display object currently at least partially obscuring said user interface windows associated with said shared application in said current view in said user interface of said local computer; combining said retrieved image pixel data operable to display said user interface windows associated with said at least one shared application into a shared image; and distributing said shared image to at least one remote collaborating computer system for display by said collaborating computer system.