Patent ID: 7757001

Claim:
In a distributed computer network where a host computer communicates with at least one remote computer and an image of the host computer's desktop is shared with said at least one remote computer, said host computer and at least one remote computer each operating in a multiple-window graphic user interface environment and running an application sharing program, a method of sharing an image of the host computer desktop comprising the steps of: at the host computer, identifying displayed elements of the host computer desktop associated with both the application sharing program and control tools of said multiple-window graphic user interface environment; transmitting image data representing the image of the host computer desktop from the host computer to said at least one remote computer; and at the at least one remote computer, upon receipt of the image data automatically displaying a visually modified image of the host computer desktop in full screen, said visually modified image of the host computer desktop being a replica of said host computer desktop and further comprising visual demarcations overlying at least one of the identified displayed elements of the host computer desktop, said visual demarcations constituting a visual cue to a viewer that the full screen modified image of the host computer desktop displayed by the at least one remote computer is not a local desktop of said at least one remote computer.