JP2001228843A - Shared white board system, its control method and recording medium with method recorded thereon - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prepare a shared white board and a write board which correspond to an individual. SOLUTION: Respective spaces, in which information to be shard among all individuals and information required for an individual or a group are used together and displayed on a picture, and made to correspond to layers on the shard white board, and these layers are superposed over each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shared whiteboard system for an educational support system using a computer and a communication network, a control method therefor, and a recording medium recording the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a shared whiteboard system using a conventional computer and a communication network, Microsof
There is t NetMeeting. Using a conventional shared whiteboard system, a single whiteboard can be shared by a plurality of computers using a network, and each user sharing the whiteboard can freely write on the whiteboard.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional shared whiteboard system, written characters and graphics are shared by all participating users, so that an individual can write for his / her own memo. The information to be shared with the whole and the information necessary for each individual or group cannot be displayed together on the screen.

[0004] In addition, conventional shared whiteboard systems such as NetMeeting cannot give write and read rights to individuals.

The above problem arises from the fact that all users participating in sharing one whiteboard share the same information. To share different information, you must create a new shared whiteboard and participate in it.

[0006] However, if a new whiteboard is newly created, it is not possible to effectively use the shared data that is originally required. Therefore, it is necessary to simultaneously display information to be shared by all and information to be partially shared or held individually by the same shared whiteboard.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shared whiteboard and a personalized writing board.

[0008]

To display information to be shared as a whole and information necessary for each individual or group on a screen on a shared whiteboard using a computer and a network, It is possible by having multiple shared data spaces, expressing them as layers, and overlaying the layers.

[0009] A server having a shared data management unit for managing data shared by a plurality of computers and a means for appropriately distributing the data to the shared computer, and data for managing a plurality of shared spaces and expressing them as a layer With a shared whiteboard system consisting of a management unit and a client with a display means that can display layers superimposed,
A user who wants to participate in the shared whiteboard connects as a participant from the client to the server.

[0010] A plurality of layers are provided in one shared whiteboard, and a display right and a write right are set for each layer for each participant of the shared whiteboard. Are displayed in a superimposed manner, and writing can be performed only on the layer to which you have write permission.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a network, 2 denotes a server, 3-i denotes a client, 21 denotes a client information management unit, 22 denotes a data management unit, 23 denotes a distribution management unit, 24 denotes a communication management unit, and 31 denotes a communication management. Unit, 32 is a data management unit,
33 represents a data display control unit, and 34 represents a data display unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of clients 3-i and one server 2 are connected to a network 1.
In the client information management unit 21 shown in FIG. 1, the server 2 manages which port of which client 3-i each user is connected to.

Each client 3-i participates in one or more logical groups called "whiteboards". The logical group is managed by the data management unit 22 of the server 2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a data management unit of the server. As shown in FIG. 5, the data management unit 2 of the server
2 has the following data structure. First, there is a “system” 101 at the first level. This is the client information management unit 21
, And the user information list 102 identifies which user is operating which client. The “system” 101 has a whiteboard list 103 corresponding to the logical group.

Next, a "white board" 201 is placed on the second level.
There is. The “whiteboard” 201 has a belonging user list 202 for grasping the belonging users. It also has a layer list 203.

Next, there is a "layer" 301 in the third hierarchy, and each layer 301 has an "access control table" 50 shown in FIG.
, The user's own access right status is known. “Layer 301” has an object list 303 to be drawn. The “access control table” 50 in FIG. 2 describes whether a certain “user” has a read right and a write right for a certain “layer”. The “user” having the read right has a value of r, and the user having the write right has a value of w.

The "layer" 301 refers to the access control table 50, and creates and holds a belonging user list 302 to which the "layer" 301 must distribute.

Here, "whiteboard" is the name of data representing one whiteboard. The “layer” is a name of data that exists in a plurality of “whiteboards” and holds “objects”.

The "object" is a name of data that exists in a plurality in the "layer" and has a shape to be drawn.

The "user" is the operator of the client connected to the server.

As shown in FIG. 6, the data management unit of the client has the same hierarchy as the data management unit of the server.
It has a data structure in which the user list is omitted from the “system hierarchy” and the user list is omitted from the “whiteboard hierarchy”.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the data management unit and the data display unit of the client. As shown in the figure, the data management unit 32 manages the data at the same level as the data management unit 22 of the server.

As shown in FIG. 6, the data display unit 34 of the client 3 superimposes the objects embodied on the virtual screen 401 and displays them on the screen 402.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the system configuration of the client. As shown in FIG. 7, when the layers in the data management unit of the client are displayed on the data display unit 34, the layers are displayed by the data display control unit 33. Or it is hidden. In FIG. 7, the layer 2 on the whiteboard WB2 is not displayed on the data display unit 34 because it is hidden by the data display control unit 33.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the system configuration of the server. As shown in FIG. 8, the distribution management section 23 of the server knows to which user the delivered object should be distributed. In FIG. 8, the object received from the user 4 is passed to the distribution management unit 23 via the data management unit 22. The distribution management unit 23 instructs the communication management unit 24 to distribute to the user 1, the user 2, and the user 4, and the communication management unit 24
Sends an object to the network 1 to each user.

The manner in which the server properly distributes information transmitted by someone is shown in FIG. 3 and will be described below.

The user who operates the object is the sender,
The client handled by the sender is called the sending PC, the user receiving the object change is called the receiver, and the client handled by the receiver is called the receiving PC. (Step 100) The sender operates the object using the operation means on the screen of the transmitting PC. (Step 110) The client program of the transmitting PC temporarily updates the object data to be operated. (Step 120) The client program of the sending PC creates an object operation command according to the whiteboard protocol. (Step 130) The communication management unit of the transmitting PC transmits an object operation command to the server via the network. (Step 140) The communication management unit of the server receives the object operation command from the network. (Step 150) The communication management unit of the server passes the received command to the data management unit of the server, and analyzes the data management unit to search for the layer to which the target object belongs and the target object itself.

(Step 160) The data management unit of the server operates the corresponding object according to the received object operation command. (Step 170) The data management unit of the server updates the corresponding object data. (Step 180) The distribution management unit of the server distributes only to users belonging to the corresponding layer. (Step 190) The communication management unit of the receiving PC receives the object operation command from the network. (Step 200) The communication management unit of the receiving PC passes the received command to the data management unit of the receiving PC, and analyzes the data management unit to search for the layer to which the target object belongs and the target object itself. . (Step 210) The data management unit of the receiving PC operates the corresponding object according to the received object operation command. (Step 220) The data management unit of the receiving PC updates the data of the corresponding object. (Step 230) The data display unit of the receiving PC updates the screen by overlapping it with another layer.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart corresponding to the processing of step 180 shown in FIG. (S1): Affiliated user name is acquired from the user list of the corresponding layer. (S2): Connection P from user name to system user information
Obtain the IP address and port of C. (S3): It is checked whether or not the connection is established, and if "NO", the flow proceeds to step (S5). (S4): A command command is transmitted to the acquired IP address and port. (S5): It is checked whether or not the user still exists. If "yes", the process returns to step (S1).

In the above, the shared whiteboard system and its control method have been described, but the control method can be recorded in a recording medium described in the form of a program. Therefore, the present invention includes the recording medium as an object of the invention.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the distribution of shared data to each user can be finely controlled. For example, all the students can share the blackboard that the teacher wrote to all the students during the class, and each student can take notes on the personal note layer and express the notes.

Further, in a class in which discussion is carried out in a plurality of groups, a teacher can write a common agenda on a layer held by all the members, and write and discuss on a different layer in each group based on the common agenda. After the discussion, learn the differences between the discussions by displaying the layers of other groups.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an access control table according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of step 180 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data management unit of the server of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a data management unit and a data display unit of the client according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a client according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a server according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Network 2: Server 3: Client 21: Client information management unit 22: Data management unit 23: Distribution management unit 24: Communication management unit 31: Communication management unit 32: Data management unit 33: Data display control unit 34: Data display Department

Claims (7)

[Claims] In a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network, a communication management unit that manages communication between the client device and the server device, a plurality of layers in the shared whiteboard, A data management unit that manages the shared objects, a data display control unit that controls which of the multiple layers in the shared whiteboard are displayed, and data that is displayed on the screen by overlaying multiple layers in the shared whiteboard A client device that manages communication with clients; a client information management unit that manages client information; a data management unit that manages information on the shared whiteboard; A distribution management unit that manages whether Shared whiteboard system, characterized in that to obtain. 2. The shared whiteboard system according to claim 1, wherein the data management unit of the server device has an access control table. 3. A method for controlling a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network, the method including the steps of operating an object on a screen of a transmitting client device using operating means; A step in which the client program of the client device temporarily updates the object data to be operated; a step in which the client program of the sending client device creates an object operation command according to the whiteboard protocol; and a communication management of the sending client device Transmitting an object operation command to the server device through the network, receiving the object operation command from the network by the communication management unit of the server device, and performing communication management of the server device. Passing the received command to the data management unit of the server device, and analyzing the data management unit to search for the layer to which the target object belongs and the target object itself. Operating the corresponding object in accordance with the object operation command, updating the corresponding object data by the data management unit of the server device, and restricting the distribution management unit of the server device to only the user who belongs to the corresponding layer. Distributing, a step in which the communication management unit of the receiving client device receives the object operation command from the network, and a step of transmitting the received command to the data managing unit of the receiving client device by the communication management unit of the receiving client device; Data management department Analyzing the layer to which the target object belongs and searching for the target object itself; operating the target object according to the object operation command received by the data management unit of the receiving client device; A shared whiteboard, comprising: a data management unit of the device updating the data of the corresponding object; and a data display unit of the receiving client device updating the screen by overlapping the screen with another layer. How to control the system. 4. A method for controlling a server device in a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network, wherein a communication management unit of the server device receives an object operation command from the network; Passing the received command to the data management unit of the server device, and analyzing the data management unit to search for the layer to which the target object belongs and the target object itself. A step of operating the corresponding object in accordance with the received object operation command; a step of updating the corresponding object data by the data management unit of the server; and a step of assigning the distribution management unit of the server to the corresponding layer. Do The method of shared whiteboard system, comprising the steps of delivering only over THE, the. 5. A method for controlling a client device in a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network, wherein a communication management unit of the receiving client device receives an object operation command from the network. The communication management unit of the reception-side client device passes the received command to the data management unit of the reception-side client device, and analyzes the data management unit to search for the layer to which the target object belongs and the target object itself. Operating the corresponding object in accordance with the object operation command received by the data management unit of the receiving client device; and updating the data of the corresponding object by the data management unit of the receiving client device A method for controlling a shared whiteboard system, comprising: updating a screen by superimposing a screen on another layer by a data display unit of a receiving client device. 6. A recording medium in which a control method of a server device in a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network is recorded in the form of a program, the control method comprising: A step in which the communication management unit receives an object operation command from the network; and a step in which the communication management unit of the server device passes the received command to the data management unit of the server device, and the data management unit becomes a target of the layer to which the target object belongs. Analyzing to find the object itself, the data management unit of the server device operating the corresponding object in accordance with the received object operation command, and the data management unit of the server device updating the corresponding object data Step to do Recording medium, which is a control method which includes the steps of delivering only the users belonging to the layer of the delivery management portion of the server device is applicable, the. 7. A recording medium in which a control method of a client device in a shared whiteboard system using a server device and a client device connected to a communication network is recorded in the form of a program, the control method comprising: A step in which the communication management unit of the device receives the object operation command from the network; and a step in which the communication management unit of the receiving client device passes the received command to the data management unit of the receiving client device. Analyzing the layer to which the object belongs and the target object itself; operating the corresponding object according to the object operation command received by the data management unit of the receiving client device; A data management unit for updating the data of the corresponding object, and a data display unit of the receiving client device for updating the screen by superimposing the screen on another layer, and a control method comprising: Recording medium.