JP2004280540A - Electronic cooperative work system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic cooperative work system capable of turning a common browsing image to unified image constitution regardless of the display screen size of each user terminal and displaying a white board image in real time regardless of the degree of a communication speed. <P>SOLUTION: A radio electronic cooperative work system 100 is constituted of a central control terminal 101 having a display 101a, the user terminal 103 having the display 103a whose pixel size is larger than the display 101a, the user terminal 104 having the display 104a whose pixel size is smaller than the display 101a, and the user terminal 105 having the display 106a whose pixel size is the same as the display 101a. The basic display sizes of the respective user terminals 103-105 are stipulated on the basis of a radio channel capacity and display ability and white board image constitution data are sent from the central control terminal 101 on the basis of the stipulated basic display sizes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic cooperative work system, and more particularly, to an electronic cooperative work system that executes a cooperative work by activating the same application at each terminal connected to a network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, electronic presentation methods using PCs and projectors have become popular, and since NotePCs have been used not only as shared assets but also as personal terminals, all participants in general conferences have their own Conference management based on PCs bringing personal terminals is becoming widespread.
[0003]
As one of the general conference management methods, there is a free discussion method in which opinions from participants are written out on a whiteboard so that all the participants can simultaneously view the information, and all the participants share the discussions. When this is applied to a PC-based electronic conference, a large-screen display such as a liquid crystal projector connected to one terminal is used instead of a whiteboard.
[0004]
However, since only the screen of the terminal connected to this display is displayed on the large screen display, all participants can freely write their own opinions and ideas on this display using their own personal terminals Basically you can't do that. Therefore, the method of connecting the terminal of the secretary participant to the large screen display and the other participants requesting their opinions and ideas to this participant in charge of the secretary and displaying it on this display Was generally taken. However, in this case, labor is required to convey the subtle expressions of each individual, and there is a drawback that only one person can be processed at a time.
[0005]
Therefore, PC-based conference management in which personal terminals brought in by participants are connected to each other via a network is being introduced. For example, a HUB device and a LAN wiring are provided in advance in a conference room, and the personal terminals brought by the participants are connected to each other via a network, so that the materials created by the participants on their own terminals are shared and released on the network. . This allows a clerk in charge of using a terminal connected to a large-screen display to easily display the opinions and ideas of each participant simply by copying this shared and released data on the GUI. It is possible to do.
[0006]
However, even in such a conference operation, although the labor of input work by the clerk in charge can be reduced, the processing is concentrated on the terminal connected to the large screen display. The problem that the user cannot write is still not solved.
[0007]
In order to solve these problems, a cooperative work system using an electronic whiteboard application has been devised, which enables simultaneous writing from a plurality of terminals shared by a network.
[0008]
The electronic whiteboard application refers to an application that, when started on a plurality of terminals shared by a network, displays a whiteboard screen on the screen of each terminal and groups the terminals that have started this application. When one of the grouped terminals writes on the whiteboard screen displayed on the screen of the terminal, the written content is reflected on the whiteboard screen displayed on the screens of all the terminals that are grouped one by one. . Thereby, a plurality of participants can write on the whiteboard screen at the same time.
[0009]
Further, one of the terminals is used as a server terminal, the server terminal temporarily processes the contents written in each terminal, performs processing, and constructs screen data reflecting all the processed contents, In some cases, this is distributed to each group of terminals as whiteboard screen data. Thus, even if the contents written by each terminal at an arbitrary timing temporally coincide with each other, the server terminal can reflect the contents on the whiteboard screen without leaving it.
[0010]
However, with the spread of NotePC, the product form has also been diversified, and various products having different screen display sizes now exist.
[0011]
In other words, the display size of the NotePC used to be 800 × 600 dots in the past, but now the 1024 × 768 XGA size is the mainstream, while the 1280 × 1024 and 1600 × Products having various screen sizes, such as those having a screen size of 1200 and conversely, those having a size of 800 × 600 or smaller to improve portability, are being distributed.
[0012]
Further, as the functions of PDA having a smaller screen size of 320 × 240 dots and the like have been advanced, the functional difference from the low-priced NotePC has been reduced, and the chances of using the same type as the NotePC have been increasing. I have.
[0013]
In such a situation, if the above-mentioned cooperative work system is to be realized by a personal terminal that each participant brought in by himself / herself, the terminal having various screen sizes becomes a group terminal as described above. However, there is a problem that even if the screen data constructed by the above is uniformly distributed to each group terminal, the whiteboard screen displayed on each terminal may not have a unified screen configuration for common viewing.
[0014]
Therefore, conventionally, on a terminal having only a screen size smaller than the server terminal, only a specific portion of the display area of the server terminal is cut out in the display area, and the display area to be cut out is vertically, horizontally, and horizontally. , It is possible to secure a display area equivalent to the display area of the server terminal as a whole (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0015]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-126758
[0016]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, with this method, it is still difficult to grasp the display contents of the entire screen of the server terminal at a glance.
[0017]
As another problem, there is a problem of a load of network traffic. That is, as means for connecting personal terminals to each other via a network, wireless LAN communication, instead of the above-described wired LAN communication, has become widespread. When distributing the whiteboard screen as image data to each terminal, a large amount of data communication traffic is generated. However, since the communication speed of the wireless LAN communication is lower than that of the wired LAN communication, the screen can be refreshed in real time. Configuration becomes difficult.
[0018]
In particular, in a small terminal such as a PDA, among wireless communication technologies for constructing a LAN, there is a high possibility that low-speed wireless communication such as Bluetooth, which has relatively low power consumption, is used. In that case, the reduction in communication speed is more significant. become.
[0019]
An object of the present invention is to provide a common screen for common viewing regardless of the display screen size of each user terminal, and to display a whiteboard screen in real time regardless of the communication speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic cooperative work system capable of performing the above.
[0020]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the electronic cooperative work system according to claim 1 includes a central control device including a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication by two or more communication systems and a display unit that controls display of a common viewing screen. An electronic cooperative work system including a plurality of user terminals including another wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the central control device and another display unit that displays another common viewing screen according to one of the communication methods, The central control device includes: a construction unit configured to construct the common viewing screen to be displayed; a capacity determination unit configured to determine a wireless channel capacity for each of the user terminals; and a display capability determination unit configured to determine a display capability of each of the user terminals. And defining a basic display size of the other common viewing screen for each of the user terminals based on the wireless channel capacity and the display capability determined for each of the user terminals. The present display size defining means, and a basic display size transmitting means for transmitting the defined basic display size as data, wherein the other display means displays another common viewing screen in the transmitted basic display size. It is characterized.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a wireless electronic cooperative work system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a wireless electronic cooperative work system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0023]
In FIG. 1, a wireless electronic cooperative work system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a central control terminal 101 that controls the entire wireless electronic cooperative work system 100 and a user who is a personal terminal brought in by another participant. It comprises terminals 103 to 105.
[0024]
The central control terminal 101 performs a wireless communication by a display 101a (display means) for displaying an output screen having a pixel size of 1024 × 768 dots, a communication unit 101b (wireless communication means) for performing wireless communication by 802.11b, and Bluetooth. A communication unit 101c (wireless communication means), a liquid crystal projector 102 for enlarging and displaying an output screen displayed on the display 101a so that all users can view it, and a ROM (not shown) for storing an electronic whiteboard application. . Further, when the electronic whiteboard application is running, the central control terminal 101 builds and displays a whiteboard screen 200a (common viewing screen) on the display 101a.
[0025]
The central control terminal 101 according to the present embodiment performs wireless communication according to two schemes, 802.11b and Bluetooth, but if it can communicate with the user terminals 103 to 105 using two or more wireless schemes, The method is not limited to the method according to the present embodiment.
[0026]
The user terminal 103 is a NotePC, a display 103a (another display unit) that displays an output screen having a display pixel size of 1600 × 1200 dots, and a communication unit 103b (another wireless communication) that performs wireless communication by 802.11b. Means) and a ROM (not shown) for storing the electronic whiteboard application. Also, when the electronic whiteboard application is running, the user terminal 103 displays a whiteboard screen 200b (another common viewing screen) on the display 103a.
[0027]
The user terminal 104 is a high-performance PDA, and has a display 104a (another display unit) that displays an output screen having a display pixel size of 240 × 320 dots, and a communication unit 104b (another wireless communication) that performs wireless communication by Bluetooth. Means) and a ROM (not shown) for storing the electronic whiteboard application. Further, when the electronic whiteboard application is running, the user terminal 104 displays a whiteboard screen 200b (another common viewing screen) on the display 104a.
[0028]
The user terminal 105 is a Note PC, which is a display 105a (another display unit) that displays an output screen with a display pixel size of 1024 × 768 dots, a communication unit 105b (another wireless communication unit) that performs wireless communication by Bluetooth, and And a ROM (not shown) for storing an electronic whiteboard application. Also, when the electronic whiteboard application is running, the user terminal 105 displays a whiteboard screen 200b (another common viewing screen) on the display 105a.
[0029]
When the electronic whiteboard application is running on the central control terminal 101 and the user terminals 103 to 105 constituting the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100, the electronic whiteboard application is displayed on one of the displays of the central control terminal 101 and the user terminals 103 to 105. When writing is performed on the written whiteboard screen, the written content is reflected on the whiteboard screens of all terminals one by one.
[0030]
The central control terminal 101 constructs a whiteboard screen 200a displayed on the display 101a, and enlarges and displays the same screen as the screen on the liquid crystal projector 102.
[0031]
When the central control terminal 101 acquires the pixel size of each of the displays 103a to 105a from the user terminals 103 to 105 as pixel size information, the central control terminal 101 performs a basic display size defining process in FIGS. The basic display size information is transmitted to 105. The user terminals 103 to 105 display the whiteboard screens 200c to 200d in the transmitted basic display size.
[0032]
Further, the central control terminal 101 periodically updates and transmits whiteboard screen configuration data, which is data of components displayed on each whiteboard screen, to the user terminals 103 to 105 according to the basic display size defined above. I do. In the present embodiment, the update / transmission of the whiteboard screen configuration data is performed periodically, but every time the sticky note element data (FIG. 4) is added at either the central control terminal 101 or the user terminals 103 to 105. Alternatively, the whiteboard screen configuration data may be updated and transmitted.
[0033]
The user terminal 103 updates and displays the whiteboard screen 200b on the display 103a based on the whiteboard screen configuration data periodically transmitted from the central control terminal 101. The whiteboard screen configuration data transmitted to the user terminal 103 is all elements of the whiteboard screen 200a. That is, the whiteboard screen 200b is the same screen as the whiteboard screen 200a (hereinafter, referred to as “common screen”). This is because the user terminal 103 is provided with the display 103a having a larger display capability than the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, so that the user terminal 103 can surely display the same screen configuration as the whiteboard screen 200a. This is because the wireless communication with the central control terminal 101 is performed by 802.11b, which is capable of high-speed communication, so that communication traffic does not occur even if a relatively large amount of data is received.
[0034]
Further, since the display 103a of the user terminal 103 has a larger pixel size than the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, the whiteboard screen 200a is displayed using a part of the entire screen of the display 103a.
[0035]
Like the user terminal 103, the user terminal 104 updates and displays the whiteboard screen 200c displayed on the display 104a based on the whiteboard screen configuration data transmitted periodically from the central control terminal 101. The whiteboard screen configuration data transmitted to the user terminal 104 is only a part of the components of the whiteboard screen 200a. That is, the whiteboard screen 200c is a screen overlapping only a part of the whiteboard screen 200a. This is because the user terminal 104 has a display 104a having a display capability smaller than that of the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, and therefore cannot display a screen having the same screen configuration as the whiteboard screen 200a. This is because wireless communication is performed with the central control terminal 101 using Bluetooth, which is not capable of high-speed communication. Therefore, if all of the whiteboard screen configuration data is received, communication traffic may occur.
[0036]
Therefore, on the display 104a of the user terminal 104, a simplified version of the content displayed on the whiteboard screen 101a (hereinafter referred to as a "simplified screen") is displayed on the whiteboard screen displayed on the display 104a.
[0037]
The user terminal 105, like the user terminal 103, updates and displays the whiteboard screen 200d displayed on the display 105a based on the whiteboard screen configuration data periodically transmitted from the central control terminal 101.
[0038]
Since the display 105a of the user terminal 105 has the same pixel size as the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, it can reliably display the same screen configuration as the whiteboard screen 200a, but the user terminal 105 can perform high-speed communication. Wireless communication with the central control terminal 101 using Bluetooth, which may cause communication traffic even if relatively large amounts of data are received.
[0039]
In such a case, the central control terminal 101 first sets the basic display size to the same size as the whiteboard screen 200a (hereinafter, referred to as “common screen display size”) in the basic display size defining process in FIGS. The user terminal 105 displays a selection screen (not shown) for allowing the user to select whether the size is smaller than the whiteboard screen 200a (hereinafter, referred to as “simplified screen display size”). The whiteboard screen 200d is displayed in the basic display size. Thereafter, when the selected size is the common screen size, the central control terminal 101 transmits all the components of the whiteboard screen 200a as whiteboard screen configuration data, and the selected size is the simplified screen size. At this time, some components of the whiteboard screen 200a are transmitted as whiteboard screen configuration data.
[0040]
2A and 2B are diagrams showing a whiteboard screen, in which FIG. 2A is a whiteboard screen 200b in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a whiteboard screen 200c in FIG.
[0041]
In FIG. 2A, a whiteboard screen 200b displayed at a common screen display size has exactly the same screen configuration as that displayed on the whiteboard screen 200a, and sticky note elements input from each of the user terminals 103 to 105. It comprises sticky note elements 203 to 208 for displaying data in the form of sticky notes, and group areas 201 and 202 for grouping the sticky note elements 203 to 208 on the GUI.
[0042]
The sticky note elements 203 to 208 are assigned serial numbers in the order of input, and are color-coded for each input user so that the participant can write at a glance.
[0043]
When sticky note element data input from the user terminals 103 to 105 is composed of only text format data, the contents of the text portion are displayed as sticky note elements 203, 204, 205, 206, and 208.
[0044]
When the sticky note element data input from the user terminals 103 to 105 includes data other than the text format, the data is transmitted to the central control terminal 101 as an attached file in the sticky note element data. For example, when sticky note element data having an attached file composed of image data in addition to text data is transmitted to the central control terminal 101, the contents of the text portion, such as the sticky note element 207, are added to the image data in the attached file. Is displayed. The data that can be transmitted as an attached file in the sticky note element data is not limited to image data, but may be audio data or moving image data.
[0045]
The group information 201 and 202 is for grouping the sticky note elements 203 to 208 on the GUI of the central control terminal 101, and is used for the purpose of organizing, for example, a group with a favorable opinion and a group with a negative opinion on a proposal. Can be The group information is not limited to two, and can be newly added as needed.
[0046]
For example, sticky note element data that has just been input by the user on any of the user terminals 103 to 105 is displayed on the whiteboard screen 200a in a state that does not belong to any group area like the sticky note element 208 in FIG. Will be displayed.
[0047]
The sticky note elements 203 to 208 can be arbitrarily moved only on the whiteboard screen 200a. When the sticky note elements 203 to 208 are moved within the set area, the group information (for example, “agree”) set in the area is changed to the sticky note element. This is additional information for element data.
[0048]
In FIG. 2B, the whiteboard screen 200c displayed in the simplified screen display size is formed by dividing the background screen into icons 213 to 218 displaying only serial numbers added to the sticky note elements 203 to 208. And the regions 211, 212, and 213 to be configured.
[0049]
When any one of the icons 213 to 218 is selected, the contents of the tag paper element data corresponding to the serial number displayed as the icon are developed on the whiteboard screen 200c. When the selected sticky note data has an attached file composed of data other than the text format, a part of the icon display is changed like an icon 217.
[0050]
The areas 211 and 212 correspond to the group areas 201 and 202 of the whiteboard screen 200a, respectively, and the area 213 is an area in which grouping is not set.
[0051]
As described above, since the whiteboard screen 200c displayed in the simplified screen display size is displayed with a smaller pixel size than the whiteboard screen 200a, it cannot be displayed in the same screen configuration as the whiteboard screen 200a, but it is GUI-like. These elements are eliminated, and a plurality of display states as shown in FIG. 3 to be described later are prepared to cover the entire contents displayed on the whiteboard screen 200a.
[0052]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of another display state of the whiteboard screen displayed on the user terminal 103 in FIG.
[0053]
In FIG. 3, a whiteboard screen 300 a is a display state in which the user wants to check the detailed contents of specific sticky note element data. By selecting desired icons 213 to 218 from the state of the whiteboard screen 200 c, the whiteboard screen element 300 a is displayed. The text content of the sticky note element data selected as indicated by 301 is enlarged and displayed. When the selected sticky note element data has an attached file, an icon 302 indicating that there is an attached file is added to a part of the sticky note element data 301. When the icon 302 is selected by the user, the attached file is deleted. The attached file received from the central control terminal 101 is expanded and displayed as a whiteboard screen 300b.
[0054]
When it is desired to list only the text portion of the contents of the sticky note element data, a text display section 304a to 304e displaying part or all of the text contents of the sticky note element data in the order of serial numbers, The screen can be switched to a whiteboard screen 300c including group display units 305a to 305e for displaying the added group information and a scroll bar 308 for sequentially browsing the contents of the sticky note element data not displayed on the screen. it can.
[0055]
When the corresponding sticky note element data has an attached file composed of data other than the text format, as in the text display unit 304e, an icon 307 indicating that the attached file is present is added to a part of the tag data, and this icon is added. When the user selects 307, the attached file is received from the central control terminal 101, and is expanded and displayed.
[0056]
When writing on the whiteboard screen, the whiteboard screen 300d is a writing screen displayed by switching the screen by the user. The white input screen 309 is a main input area 309 in which the text content of the sticky note element data is written. A file attachment button 310 as an attachment file of paper element data, and a UPLOAD button 311 for uploading the contents of tag paper element data to the central control terminal 101 are provided.
[0057]
While the whiteboard screen 300d is displayed on the display 104a of the user terminal 104, the screen is not updated based on the whiteboard screen creation data periodically transmitted from the central control terminal 101, and functions as a data creation dedicated screen. I do. When the UPLOAD button 311 is pressed, the screen is changed to the screen of the electronic whiteboard function. A similar writing screen is also displayed on the whiteboard screens 200b and 200d by screen switching by the user.
[0058]
As described above, since the screen configuration is changed according to the work status, the content of the data to be communicated can be finely controlled each time, and even when the wireless network capacity is small, the load of communication traffic is reduced and network sharing is smooth. Cooperative work can be performed.
[0059]
FIG. 4 is a list of information contents of whiteboard screen creation data that is periodically updated by the central control terminal 101 based on the data created by the central control terminal 101 and the user terminals 103 to 105.
[0060]
In FIG. 4, whiteboard screen creation data that is periodically updated by the central control terminal 101 is serial number data 400 (each of which is added in the order in which sticky note element data is input from the user terminals 103 to 105 to the central control terminal 101). Terminal identification information unique to the user terminal), creator data 401 indicating from which of the user terminals 103 to 105 each piece of sticky note element data has been transmitted, and classification data 402 indicating group information of each piece of sticky note element data. (Work type information for identifying the ongoing cooperative work), attached file presence / absence data 403 (terminal identification information unique to each user terminal) indicating whether or not each sticky note element data has an attached file; Attached file path data 404 indicating the storage destination of the attached file in the paper element data in the central control terminal 101, and each tag And a text data 405 indicating the contents of the text portion of the element data.
[0061]
The tag control element data is centrally managed by the central control terminal 101, and is periodically transmitted to the user terminals 103 to 105 in accordance with a prescribed basic display size to suppress communication traffic.
[0062]
For example, in the user terminal 103 displayed in the common screen display size, the whiteboard screen creation data includes sticky note element data itself, serial number data 400 added to the sticky note element data by the central control terminal 101, and User data 401 and classification data 402 are sent, and the whiteboard screen 200b is configured based on these.
[0063]
In the user terminal 104 displayed in the simplified screen display size, the whiteboard screen creation data includes serial number data 400, creator data 401, classification data 402, attached file presence / absence data 403, and attached file path data. 404 are sent, and the whiteboard screen 200c is constructed based on these.
[0064]
These data are updated in response to the data input and revision work from each of the user terminals 103 to 105, and the update difference information of the information group is periodically transmitted to each of the user terminals 103 to 105.
[0065]
When the screen is switched from the whiteboard screen 200c to the whiteboard screen 300a, the text data 405 of the selected sticky note element data is transmitted as additional data to the user terminal 104 as whiteboard screen creation data.
[0066]
When the screen is switched from the whiteboard screen 200c to the whiteboard screen 300b, among the attached files stored in the central control terminal 101 as the whiteboard screen creation data in the user terminal 104, those indicated in the attached file path data 404 Is transmitted, and the contents of the attached file are expanded and displayed.
[0067]
When the screen is switched from the whiteboard screen 200c to the whiteboard screen 300c, the body data 405 of each sticky note element data is transmitted to the user terminal 104 as whiteboard screen creation data as additional data.
[0068]
Further, when the screen is switched from the whiteboard screen 200c to the whiteboard screen 300d, the user terminal 104 is in the data input mode. Therefore, the user terminal 104 remains white until the screen is switched to the whiteboard screen 200c again. The board screen is not updated.
[0069]
Hereinafter, the whiteboard screen display processing by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0070]
This process is broadly divided into a basic display size defining process of the whiteboard screen described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, and a writing / updating process on the whiteboard screen described with reference to FIG. Further, the terminal in which the operation of the electronic whiteboard application has been stopped forcibly terminates the whiteboard screen display processing at that time.
[0071]
5 and 6 are sequence diagrams of the basic display size defining process of the whiteboard screen by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100.
[0072]
In FIG. 5, first, an electronic whiteboard application is activated in the central control terminal 101 (step S100d).
[0073]
Also in the user terminals 103 to 105, when the electronic whiteboard application is activated in steps S100a to S100d, the user terminals 103 to 105 are information on the pixel sizes of the displays 103a to 105a of the user terminals 103 to 105 respectively in the central control terminal 101. The pixel size information is transmitted (steps S101a to S101c).
[0074]
After the electronic whiteboard application is activated in step S100d, the central control terminal 101 starts buffering for temporarily storing the pixel size information and the sticky note element data of the user terminals 103 to 105 (step S101a). Accordingly, even if pixel size information is transmitted from two or more of the user terminals 103 to 105 at the same time, the central control terminal 101 can reliably receive the pixel size information from the user terminals 103 to 105.
[0075]
This buffering is performed at all times until the operation of the electronic whiteboard application is stopped at the central control terminal 101 and this processing is forcibly terminated. Accordingly, even when the electronic whiteboard application of any of the user terminals 103 to 105 is activated during execution of the processing from step S104 described below, and the pixel size information is transmitted to the central control terminal 101. , The central control terminal 101 can reliably receive the pixel size information. Therefore, in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the activation of the electronic whiteboard application is performed almost simultaneously at the user terminals 103 to 105 and the central control terminal 101, but the activation of the electronic whiteboard application at the central control terminal 101 is performed at the user terminal 103. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment as long as the pixel size information from the user terminals 103 to 105 is temporarily buffered in the central control terminal 101.
[0076]
Thereafter, the central control terminal 101 constructs and displays the whiteboard screen 200a on the display 101a (step S102) (constructing means), and then enlarges and displays the same screen on the liquid crystal projector 102 (step S103).
[0077]
Next, after creating the whiteboard screen configuration data (step S104), the central control terminal 101 determines whether or not there is buffered pixel size information (step S105). Proceeding to S209, the process of step S105 is performed again when a certain time has elapsed. Thereby, even for the user terminal that has transmitted the pixel size information during the execution of the basic display size defining process, the basic display size of the whiteboard screen can be reliably defined.
[0078]
On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S105 is that there is buffered pixel size information, it is determined whether the pixel size received as the pixel size information is larger than the display 101a of the central control terminal 101 (step S106). (Display capability determining means).
[0079]
As a result of the determination in step S106, when the pixel size is larger than the display 101a, the display capability of the display of the pixel size is determined to be equivalent to the display capability of the display 101a, and the user terminal having the display of the pixel size is determined. For (2), the basic display size of the whiteboard screen is defined as the common screen display size (step S107) (basic display size defining means). As a result, the whiteboard screen can be surely provided with a unified screen configuration.
[0080]
Thereafter, the data of the common screen display size is transmitted to the user terminal as the basic display size data (step S108) (basic display size transmitting means), and the process proceeds to step S200b in FIG.
[0081]
The user terminal to which the data of the common screen display size has been transmitted in step S108 displays the whiteboard screen on the display in the same size as the whiteboard screen 200a (step S109), and proceeds to step S200a in FIG. In the present embodiment, the display 103a of the user terminal 103 is larger than the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, and a whiteboard screen 200b having the same size as the whiteboard screen 200a is displayed on a part of the display 103a.
[0082]
On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S106 is that the pixel size is not larger than the display 101a, it is determined whether the pixel size received as pixel size information is smaller than the display 101a (step S110) (display capability determining means). .
[0083]
As a result of the determination in step S110, when the pixel size is smaller than the display 101a, the display capability of the display of the pixel size is determined to be equal to or less than the display capability of the display 101a, and the user terminal having the display of the pixel size is determined. The basic display size of the white screen is defined as the simplified screen display size (step S111) (basic display size defining means). Thereby, even if the pixel size of the display of the user terminal is small, it is possible to make the whiteboard screen a unified screen configuration.
[0084]
Thereafter, the data of the simplified screen display size is transmitted to the user terminal as basic display size data (step S112) (basic display size transmitting means), and the process proceeds to step S200b in FIG.
[0085]
The user terminal to which the data of the simplified screen display size has been transmitted in step S112 displays a whiteboard screen smaller in size than the whiteboard screen 200a (step S113), and proceeds to the writing / updating processing on the whiteboard screen in FIG. . In the present embodiment, since the display 104a of the user terminal 104 is smaller than the display 101a of the central control terminal 101, the whiteboard screen 200c of FIG. 2 is displayed on the display 104a.
[0086]
Next, it is determined whether the communication method is capable of high-speed communication (step S114) (capacity determining means). Specifically, in the user terminals 103 to 105 of the present embodiment, when the communication unit performs wireless communication according to 802.11b, it is determined that the communication method is capable of high-speed communication, and the communication unit When performing wireless communication by Bluetooth, it is determined that the communication method is not capable of high-speed communication. Thus, in steps S106 and S110, it is determined whether high-speed communication is possible (whether the wireless channel capacity is large) with respect to the user terminal whose pixel size is neither larger nor smaller than the display 101a, that is, determined to be the same. Since the basic display size is defined depending on whether or not the whiteboard screen is displayed, the whiteboard screen can be reliably displayed in real time according to the display screen size and communication speed of each user terminal.
[0087]
If the result of determination in step S114 is that high-speed communication is possible, that is, wireless communication according to 802.11b, the basic display size of the whiteboard screen is defined as a common screen display size (step S115). Basic display size defining means), and transmits the data of the common screen display size as basic display size data (step S116) (basic display size transmitting means). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S200b in FIG.
[0088]
The user terminal to which the data of the basic display size has been transmitted in step S116 displays the whiteboard screen in the same size as the whiteboard screen 200a (step S117), and proceeds to the writing / updating processing on the whiteboard screen in FIG.
[0089]
On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S114, when the communication method is not high-speed communication, that is, when wireless communication is performed by Bluetooth, selection screen configuration data is created (step S118) and transmitted to the user terminal (step S119). .
[0090]
The user terminal to which the selection screen configuration data has been transmitted in step S119 displays a selection screen (step S120). When selection information for selecting whether to set the whiteboard screen to the common screen display size or the simplified screen display size is input by the user on the selection screen displayed on the display of this user terminal (YES in step S121), The selection information is transmitted to the central control terminal 101 (step S122).
[0091]
Upon receiving the selection information in step S122, the central control terminal 101 defines the basic display size of the whiteboard screen of the user terminal based on the selection information (step S123). This makes it possible to more reliably make the whiteboard screen a unified screen configuration.
[0092]
Thereafter, when the specified basic display size data is transmitted to the user terminal (step S124), the user terminal to which the data of the basic display size is transmitted displays the whiteboard screen in the specified basic display size (step S124). S117).
[0093]
In the present embodiment, the user terminal 105 including the display 105a of the same size as the display 101a of the central control terminal 101 and the communication unit 105b for performing wireless communication by Bluetooth first has a selection screen on the display 105a. It is displayed (step S120), and based on the selection information selected by the user on this selection screen, a whiteboard screen 200d having a prescribed basic display size is displayed (step S117).
[0094]
Accordingly, when the user selects to set the whiteboard screen to the common screen display size on the selection screen displayed on the display 105a of the user terminal 105, the pixel size of the display 105a is changed to the display of the central control terminal 101. 101a, the screen configuration can be the same as that displayed on the liquid crystal projector 102. However, the communication unit 105b of the user terminal 105 adopts Bluetooth as a communication method and cannot perform high-speed communication. Even if the whiteboard screen configuration data is updated in the control terminal 101, there will be a time difference before the content is displayed on the whiteboard screen 200d.
[0095]
On the other hand, when a user selects to set the whiteboard screen to the simplified screen size on the selection screen displayed on the display 105a, the screen configuration is simplified as compared with that displayed on the liquid crystal projector 102. Since the amount of information to be transmitted is small, even if the communication unit 105b employs Bluetooth as the communication method and cannot perform high-speed communication, the content of the whiteboard screen configuration data updated in the central control terminal 101 is white-real time. It can be displayed on the board screen 200d.
[0096]
According to the basic display size defining process of the whiteboard screen in FIG. 5, each user terminal 103 has a basic display size defined based on the communication method and the pixel size of each of the user terminals 103 to 105 determined by the central control terminal 101. (Steps S109, S113, S117), the whiteboard screen can be unified regardless of the pixel size of each of the user terminals 103 to 105, and the communication speed can be reduced. Regardless of the degree, the whiteboard screen can be displayed in real time.
[0097]
Next, the writing / updating process on the whiteboard screen will be described.
[0098]
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the writing / updating process on the whiteboard screen by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100. In this processing, the user terminals 104 and 105 perform the same processing as that of the user terminal 103, and thus the description is omitted.
[0099]
In FIG. 7, first, it is determined whether or not the writing screen is displayed by the user input on the user terminal 103 (step S200a). If not, whether the whiteboard screen configuration data has been transmitted from the central control terminal 101 or not. It is determined whether or not it is (step S201).
[0100]
As a result of the determination in step S201, if the whiteboard screen configuration data has not been transmitted, the display of the whiteboard screen 200b is directly updated based on the transmitted whiteboard screen configuration data if there has been no transmission (step S208). ), And returns to the process of step S200a.
[0101]
As a result of the determination in step S200a, when the writing screen is displayed, when there is a user input of the sticky note element data (YES in step S202), the sticky note element data is transmitted to the central control terminal 101 (step S203). ), The process from step S202 is repeated until the UPLOAD button is pressed (YES in step S203a).
[0102]
On the other hand, when the process is started, the central control terminal 101 first determines whether or not there is buffered sticky note element data (step S200b). Here, the sticky note element data is not only transmitted from the user terminal 103 in the process of step S203, but also transmitted from the user terminals 104 and 105 by the same process as that in step S203, although omitted in this flowchart. Some have been added by the central control terminal 101 itself.
[0103]
If there is no buffered sticky note element data (NO in step S200b), the determination process in step S209 is repeated while the fixed time has elapsed (YES in step S209). As described above, since the central control terminal 101 does not directly process the sticky note element data from the user terminals 103 to 105 but temporarily buffers the sticky note element data, the sticky note element data is simultaneously transmitted from two or more user terminals. Also, the central control terminal 101 can reliably receive the sticky note element data.
[0104]
Further, this buffering is always performed until the operation of the electronic whiteboard application is stopped in the central control terminal 101 and the processing is forcibly terminated as described above. This ensures that the central control terminal 101 receives the sticky note element data even when the sticky note element data is transmitted from the user terminals 103 to 105 during execution of the processing from step S204 described below. Can be. Therefore, in the flowchart of FIG. 7, almost simultaneously with the start of this processing, the sticky note element data is transmitted from the user terminal 103 to the central control terminal 101. The embodiment is not limited to this embodiment as long as it is performed before 103 to 105, and the tag element data from the user terminals 103 to 105 is temporarily buffered in the central control terminal 101.
[0105]
As a result of the determination in step S200b, when the fixed time has elapsed without buffering the tag paper element data (YES in step S209), the processing from step S105 in FIG. 5 is performed.
[0106]
On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S200b, if the sticky note element data has been buffered before the predetermined time has elapsed (NO in step S209), the whiteboard screen 200a is reconstructed and displayed (step S204). . Thereafter, the same screen is enlarged and displayed on the liquid crystal projector 102 (step S205).
[0107]
Thereafter, the whiteboard screen configuration data is updated based on the buffered sticky note element data (step S206). More specifically, the whiteboard screen configuration data for the user terminal that displays the whiteboard screen at the common screen display size includes buffered sticky note element data, serial numbers added in the input order, and the whiteboard screen of the central control terminal 101. It is composed of group information which is information obtained by grouping each piece of sticky note element data on the 200a. The whiteboard screen configuration data for the user terminal that displays the whiteboard screen at the simplified screen display size includes the serial number, the group information, the text data in the sticky note element data, and the presence or absence of the attached file in the sticky note element data. .
[0108]
Thereafter, the central control terminal 101 transmits the updated whiteboard screen configuration data to each of the user terminals 103 to 105 according to the prescribed basic display size (step S207), and when a certain time has elapsed (step S209). YES), the processing from step S105 is performed.
[0109]
When the UPLOAD button is pressed as a result of the determination in step S203a, the user terminal 103 switches the whiteboard screen from the writing screen to the whiteboard screen 200b, and based on the whiteboard screen configuration data received in step S207, The display of the screen 200b is updated (Step S208), and thereafter, the process returns to Step S200a.
[0110]
According to the writing / updating process on the whiteboard screen in FIG. 6, when the sticky note element data transmitted from the user terminals 103 to 105 is temporarily buffered in the central control terminal 101 (YES in step S200b). After updating the whiteboard screen configuration data for each basic display size (step S206), the whiteboard screen configuration data corresponding to the specified basic display size is transmitted to the user terminals 103 to 105 (step S207). Sticky note element data input at any of the central control terminal 101 and the user terminals 103 to 105 can be reliably updated and displayed on the whiteboard screens 200b to 200d of the user terminals 103 to 105.
[0111]
For example, for a small screen size such as a user terminal 104 made of a PDA, a part of display items is not displayed to make the entire screen configuration compact and to reduce the amount of data communication associated therewith. It is possible to maintain a cooperative work environment without lowering work efficiency. Further, even if the user terminal is a NotePC, if the communication path to be used is a low-speed one such as Bluetooth, the same configuration is adopted to reduce the work efficiency caused by the slow communication path. Can be prevented.
[0112]
The present invention is achieved by supplying a software program (flow charts in FIGS. 5 to 7) for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a CPU, and the CPU reads and executes the supplied program. Can be.
[0113]
In this case, the program is supplied directly from a storage medium on which the program is recorded, or is downloaded from another computer or database (not shown) connected to the Internet, a commercial network, a local area network, or the like. Supplied.
[0114]
The form of the program may be in the form of object code, program code executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to an OS (Operating System), or the like.
[0115]
The present invention is also achieved by supplying a storage medium storing a software program for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a CPU, and the CPU reading and executing the program stored in a ROM. be able to.
[0116]
In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the ROM storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
[0117]
The storage medium that stores the program code according to the present embodiment is a ROM, but is not limited thereto. For example, a RAM, an NV-RAM, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, an optical There are a magnetic disk, CD-ROM, MO, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, and the like.
[0118]
The functions of the above-described embodiments are not only executed by executing the program code read from the computer, but also executed by the OS or the like running on the computer in part or all of the actual processing based on the instruction of the program code. This can also be realized by:
[0119]
Examples of embodiments of the present invention are listed below.
[0120]
[Embodiment 1] A central control device including a wireless communication means for performing wireless communication by two or more communication methods and a display means for controlling display of a common browsing screen, and a wireless communication with the central control device by one of the communication methods In an electronic cooperative work system having a plurality of user terminals including another wireless communication unit for performing communication and another display unit for displaying another common browsing screen, the central control device may display the common browsing screen to be displayed. Constructing means for constructing, capacity discriminating means for discriminating a radio channel capacity for each of the user terminals, display capability discriminating means for discriminating a display capacity for each of the user terminals, a radio channel capacity discriminated for each of the user terminals, Basic display size defining means for defining a basic display size of the other common browsing screen for each of the user terminals based on display capability; An electronic cooperative work system comprising: a basic display size transmitting unit that transmits data of a size, wherein the other display unit displays another common viewing screen in the transmitted basic display size.
[0121]
[Embodiment 2] The capacity determining means determines that the wireless channel capacity is large when the communication method of the other communication means is capable of high-speed communication, and determines the wireless communication capacity when the communication method is not capable of high-speed communication. The electronic cooperative operation system according to the first embodiment, wherein the line capacity is determined to be small.
[0122]
According to this embodiment, since each user terminal defines the basic display size according to the communication speed, an appropriate whiteboard screen can be displayed on the user terminal.
[0123]
[Embodiment 3] Each of the user terminals further includes a pixel size transmitting unit for transmitting the pixel size of the other display unit of the user terminal to the central control device, and the display capability determining unit includes the transmitted user terminal. When the pixel size of the other display means is smaller than the pixel size of the display means of the central control device, the display capability is determined to be equal to or less than the display capability of the central control device. Or the electronic cooperative work system according to 2.
[0124]
According to this embodiment, even if the pixel size of the display of the user terminal is small, it is possible to make the whiteboard screen a unified screen configuration.
[0125]
[Embodiment 4] Among the user terminals, the display capability of the other display device is larger than that of the display device of the central control device. The electronic cooperative work system according to the third embodiment, wherein the electronic cooperative work system is determined to be equivalent to the display capability of the control device.
[0126]
According to this embodiment, the whiteboard screen can be surely provided with a unified screen configuration.
[0127]
[Embodiment 5] The electronic cooperative work control device according to embodiment 8, wherein the central control device further includes a storage unit for temporarily storing pixel sizes transmitted from the plurality of user terminals.
[0128]
According to this embodiment, even if there is a pixel size transmitted data from two or more user terminals at the same time, it is possible to reliably perform processing.
[0129]
[Embodiment 6] The display capability determination unit is configured to perform the capacity determination on the plurality of user terminals for which the pixel size of the other display unit is the same as the pixel size of the display unit of the central control device. 4. The electronic cooperative work system according to claim 3, wherein the wireless channel capacity is determined for each user terminal by means.
[0130]
According to this embodiment, the whiteboard screen can be reliably displayed in real time according to the display screen size and the communication speed of each user terminal.
[0131]
[Seventh Embodiment] The central control unit may select a basic display size by a user from among the plurality of user terminals to one of the user terminals determined by the capacity determination unit to have a small wireless channel capacity. Further comprising selection screen display means for displaying a screen, wherein the basic display size defining means, when a basic display size is selected on the selection screen by the one user terminal, displays the selected basic display size to the one The electronic cooperative work system according to claim 6, wherein the basic display size of the other common viewing screen in the user terminal is defined.
[0132]
According to this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably make the whiteboard screen a unified screen configuration.
[0133]
[Eighth Embodiment] Each of the user terminals transmits individual input data and associated data to the other common viewing screen, and transmits the input individual input data and associated data to the central control device. Data transmission means for
The central control device includes:
Screen construction means for constructing a screen reflecting all of the stored individual input data and associated data,
Screen display means for displaying the constructed screen,
Screen component creating means for creating screen component data based on the stored individual input data and the accompanying data,
Data selecting / transmitting means for selecting / transmitting the created screen component data in accordance with the basic display size of the other common viewing screen defined for each user terminal. The electronic cooperative work control device according to any one of the first to seventh embodiments.
[0134]
According to this embodiment, it is possible to reliably update and display the individual input data and the accompanying data input by either the central control device or the user terminal on the whiteboard screens of the user terminals 103 to 105.
[0135]
[Embodiment 9] The electronic cooperative work control apparatus according to Embodiment 8, wherein the central control device further includes a storage unit for temporarily storing the individual input data and the accompanying data transmitted from the plurality of user terminals. .
[0136]
According to this embodiment, even if there are individual input data and accompanying data simultaneously transmitted from two or more user terminals, it is possible to surely perform the processing.
[0137]
[Embodiment 10] The basic display size defining means includes:
Common screen display size defining means for defining the basic display size of the other common browsing screen to be the same size as the common browsing screen to be displayed, and simplifying the basic display size of the other common browsing screen. The electronic cooperative operation system according to the eighth or ninth embodiment, further comprising: a simplified screen display size defining unit that defines a simplified screen display size that is a reduced small size.
[0138]
According to this embodiment, the whiteboard screen can be surely provided with a unified screen configuration.
[0139]
[Embodiment 11] The data selection and transmission means, for the one user terminal of the plurality of user terminals, the basic display size of the other common viewing screen is defined as the simplified screen display size, Selecting and transmitting terminal identification information unique to each user terminal, unique user identification information input by a user operating each user terminal, and work type information for identifying ongoing cooperative work. An electronic cooperative work control device according to the ninth or tenth aspect, wherein:
[0140]
According to this embodiment, the whiteboard screen can be reliably displayed in real time according to the display screen size and the communication speed of each user terminal.
[0141]
[Embodiment 12] In the one user terminal, a user identification information display unit that selectively displays the user identification information on the other common browsing screen, and the user identification information that is selectively displayed are selected. And an associated data requesting unit for requesting the central control device to transmit the associated data based on the user identification information. The electronic cooperative work control device according to embodiment 11, further comprising a request accompanying data transmission unit that transmits the request associated data to the user terminal.
[0142]
According to this embodiment, the whiteboard screen can be reliably displayed in real time according to the display screen size and the communication speed of each user terminal.
[0143]
[Thirteenth Embodiment] A central control device including a wireless communication means for performing wireless communication by two or more communication methods and a display means for controlling display of a common browsing screen, and a wireless communication with the central control device by one of the communication methods. In a common browsing screen display method of an electronic cooperative work system having a plurality of user terminals including other wireless communication means for performing communication and another display means for displaying another common browsing screen, the central control device includes: A construction step of constructing a common browsing screen to be displayed; a capacity determination step of determining the radio channel capacity for each user terminal by the central control device; and a display capability of each user terminal by the central control device. And a display capability determining step based on the wireless channel capacity and the display capability determined for each of the user terminals by the central control device. A basic display size defining step of defining a basic display size of the other common viewing screen for each user terminal, and a basic display size transmitting step of transmitting data of the defined basic display size by the central control device, A display step of displaying another common viewing screen at the transmitted basic display size by the other display means.
[0144]
According to this embodiment, regardless of the display screen size of each user terminal, the common browsing screen can be configured to have a unified screen configuration, and the common browsing screen can be displayed in real time regardless of the communication speed. Can be.
[0145]
[Embodiment 14] A central control device including a wireless communication means for performing wireless communication by two or more communication methods and a display means for controlling display of a common browsing screen, and a wireless communication between the central control device and one of the communication methods. A program for causing a computer to execute a common browsing screen display method of an electronic cooperative work system having a plurality of user terminals including another wireless communication means for performing communication and another display means for displaying another common browsing screen, The common browsing screen display method includes, by the central control device, a construction step of constructing the common browsing screen to be displayed; and a capacity determining step of determining, by the central control device, a radio channel capacity for each of the user terminals. A display capability determination step of determining a display capability for each of the user terminals by the central control device; and A basic display size defining step of defining a basic display size of the other common viewing screen for each of the user terminals based on the wireless channel capacity and the display capability determined for each of the user terminals; and A basic display size transmitting step of transmitting the specified basic display size as data, and a display step of displaying another common viewing screen at the transmitted basic display size by the other display means. And the program.
[0146]
According to this embodiment, regardless of the display screen size of each user terminal, the common browsing screen can be configured to have a unified screen configuration, and the common browsing screen can be displayed in real time regardless of the communication speed. Can be.
[0147]
[Embodiment 15] A computer-readable storage medium for storing the program according to Embodiment 14.
[0148]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, according to the electronic cooperative work system according to claim 1, each user has a basic display size defined based on the radio channel capacity and display capacity of each user terminal determined by the central control device. Since the common browsing screen of the terminal is displayed, the common browsing screen can be unified regardless of the display screen size of each user terminal, and the common browsing can be performed in real time regardless of the communication speed. Screen can be displayed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a wireless electronic cooperative work system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B are diagrams showing a whiteboard screen, wherein FIG. 2A is a whiteboard screen 200b in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a whiteboard screen 200c in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of another display state of the whiteboard screen displayed on the user terminal 103 in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a list of information contents of whiteboard screen creation data that is periodically updated by the central control terminal 101 based on data created by the central control terminal 101 and the user terminals 103 to 105.
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of a basic display size defining process of a whiteboard screen by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100;
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of a basic display size defining process of a whiteboard screen by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100.
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of a writing / updating process on a whiteboard screen by the wireless electronic cooperative work system 100;
[Explanation of symbols]
100 wireless electronic cooperative work system
101 Central control terminal
101a, 103a to 105a display
101b, 101c, 103b to 105b Communication unit
102 LCD projector
103-105 User terminal
200a-200d, 300a-300d Whiteboard screen

Claims (1)

A central control unit including a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication by two or more communication systems and a display unit for controlling display of a common browsing screen; and another unit for performing wireless communication with the central control device by one of the communication systems. In an electronic cooperative work system having a plurality of user terminals including a wireless communication unit and another display unit for displaying another common viewing screen,
The central control device includes:
Constructing means for constructing the common viewing screen to be displayed,
Capacity determination means for determining the radio channel capacity for each user terminal,
Display capability determining means for determining a display capability for each of the user terminals,
Basic display size defining means for defining a basic display size of the other common viewing screen for each of the user terminals, based on the wireless channel capacity and the display capability determined for each of the user terminals,
Basic display size transmitting means for transmitting the specified basic display size as data,
The other display means,
An electronic cooperative work system, wherein another common viewing screen is displayed in the transmitted basic display size.

Images