JP2010182250A - Information processing method, information processing device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing method, an information processing device and a program, allowing a user to easily confirm past work or status in a virtual space for various works. <P>SOLUTION: When a user inputs (specifies) the time to confirm the status of a work space, an object extraction part refers to change information data to extract the latest change history of the time before the specified time. A relevant object search part successively specifies a relevant object on the work space having a relevancy intensity specified by the user with respect to a target object. Further, the previous state of the target object and the current state of the relevant object are displayed so as to be distinguished from other objects on the work space. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a program for providing a virtual work space in which a plurality of users can work interactively.

  In recent years, a virtual work space (hereinafter also referred to as “work space”) has been proposed to support intellectual creation work by a plurality of users.

  This workspace is a virtual whiteboard-like space, and the user can interactively input materials such as handwritten characters, images, and photographs (hereinafter also referred to as “objects”) in this space. Can be operated. Such a workspace facilitates intellectual creation work (thinking and communicating with other members) within an individual or group.

  By the way, in the work space, unlike a physical whiteboard or memo pad, it is possible to provide a work space in a wider range than the range actually viewed by the user. Note that the range browsed by the user can be freely expanded or reduced as necessary, so that writing or the like can be performed even in a narrow area. Therefore, even in a vast range of work space, the user can work without stress.

  By the way, when performing such intellectual creation work, or when passing on the results of intellectual creation to other members, it is important to understand and organize not only the content of the idea but also the background. is there. As a method for reviewing such past intellectual creation work, a snapshot function for storing images at various past points in time, a movie function for displaying changes from the past as moving images, and the like can be considered.

  Conventionally, as a technology for associating objects with each other to improve searchability and manageability, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-231120 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-010993 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-025728 (Patent Document 3) is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-231120 JP 2000-010993 A JP-A-2005-025728

  However, the snapshot function has a problem that it is difficult to narrow down a point to be noted when a large number of objects already exist at the time of saving, and it takes time to acquire necessary information. Further, when the movie function is used, there is a problem that it is difficult to grasp which part should be focused on a relatively large virtual work space and the like, which requires time and labor.

  In addition to reviewing past intellectual creation work, in order to start another discussion from a certain point in the past, it is necessary to selectively copy the necessary objects among the objects that existed at that point in time. is there. Even in such a situation, when there are a large number of objects, the work of excluding unnecessary objects and narrowing down to only the necessary objects becomes complicated, and there is a high possibility of making an error.

  Moreover, the above-mentioned patent documents 1 to 3 are not intended to review past work in the workspace as described above, and are not applicable as they are.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the object thereof is to easily confirm work performed in the past and past situations in a virtual work space where various work is performed. An information processing method, an information processing apparatus, and a program are provided.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method for providing a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users, using a plurality of information processing apparatuses having display means and storage means. The information processing method includes a step in which a plurality of information processing apparatuses hold first information defining a virtual work space and objects included in the virtual work space in synchronization, and at least one information processing apparatus includes a virtual work space. Storing the content of the change operation on the object included in the object in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation is performed, and at least one information processing device receives the time or time from the user A step of accepting designation of a band, and a step in which at least one information processing apparatus refers to the second information and identifies, as a target object, an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a designated time or time period And at least one information processing apparatus refers to the first information and Identifying an object in the virtual work space with a constant degree of relevance as a related object, at least one information processing apparatus, and a step of displaying the state of the target object and the related object on the display means.

  Preferably, the step of specifying as a related object includes a step of evaluating a degree of association between the object on the virtual work space and the target object.

  More preferably, in the step of evaluating the degree of association, the degree of association with the target object is evaluated based on a description indicating an association with another object included in the definition of the object.

  More preferably, the step of evaluating the degree of relevance includes a step of accepting the strength of the degree of relevance and a virtual having a degree of relevance between the related object specified above over the range of strength of the degree of relevance specified. Further specifying an object on the workspace as a related object.

  Alternatively, preferably, in the step of evaluating the degree of association, the degree of association between the target object and the target object is evaluated based on the arrangement positional relationship between the target object and the object on the virtual work space.

  Preferably, the information processing method further includes a step in which the plurality of information processing devices display the contents of the designated browsing range of the virtual work space on the display unit, The related object is specified based on the browsing range in the time or the time zone.

  Preferably, in the step of specifying as a related object, the related object is specified based on a description indicating that a plurality of objects are handled as one group.

  Preferably, the step of displaying on the display means includes a step of displaying the state before the change of the target object and the current state of the related object together.

  More preferably, in the step of displaying the state before the change of the target object and the current state of the related object together, the state and the relation before the change of the target object are displayed independently of the display of the current contents of the virtual workspace. Displays the current state of the object.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus configured to be capable of data communication with another information processing apparatus and providing a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users. The information processing device includes a display unit, a storage unit, a virtual work space, a first information defining an object included in the virtual work space, and means for holding the first information synchronously with other information processing devices, Means for storing the contents of the change operation for the object included in the work space in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation is executed, and means for receiving the time or time zone designation from the user And means for identifying an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a designated time or time zone with reference to the second information, and a target object with reference to the first information. Means for identifying an object on the virtual workspace having a predetermined degree of association as a related object, a target object and a related object And means for displaying on the status display unit.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that provides a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users, using a plurality of information processing apparatuses having a display unit and a storage unit. The program is included in the virtual work space, the information processing device holding the virtual work space and first information defining objects included in the virtual work space in synchronization with another information processing device. Storing the contents of the change operation on the object in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation was executed, receiving a designation of time or time zone from the user, second information Referring to the first information, the step of specifying an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a specified time or time zone as a target object, and a predetermined relationship between the target object and the first information Identifying an object on the virtual workspace having a degree as a related object, and a target object and And a step of displaying the status of the communicating object on the display means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily confirm the work performed in the past and the past situation in the virtual work space where various work is performed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system for providing a work space according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of a personal computer that is a representative example of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed typically an example of the workspace according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the workspace according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the review function according to embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of each information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the more detailed control structure of the review function part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the work space data according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the correlation between the objects defined by the workspace data shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state with the work space according to embodiment of this invention. In the state shown in FIG. 10, it is a figure which shows the state immediately after user operation was performed by node1. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state during synchronization processing after FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the synchronization process related to the user operation illustrated in FIG. 11 is completed. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the change information data according to embodiment of this invention. It is an example which shows the initial state of the work space data for review according to embodiment of this invention. It is an example which shows the state from which the target object was extracted after the initial state shown in FIG. It is an example which shows the state from which the related object was extracted after the state shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the content of the work space data according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the correlation between the objects defined by the workspace data shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows another form of the review screen according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of the content of the work space data according to embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of change information data collection according to embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the review function according to embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the work space data according to the modification 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the positional relationship of the view range defined by the work space data shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the change information data according to the modification 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is an example which shows the initial state of the work space data for a review according to the modification 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is an example which shows the state from which the target object was extracted after the initial state shown in FIG. It is an example which shows the state from which the related object was extracted after the state shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the review screen according to the modification 1 of embodiment of this invention. It is an example which shows the state from which the target object and related object according to the modification 2 of embodiment of this invention were extracted. It is a figure which shows an example of the definition of grouping according to the modification 3 of embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

<Overall configuration of workspace>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system for providing a work space according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of information processing apparatuses PC1 to PC3 (hereinafter referred to as “information processing apparatus PC” or “devices” connected to each other via a network NW so that data communication is possible. node (node) "). In this specification, “node” indicates a network-connected device in general, and particularly indicates a device that can receive information (data) transmitted over the network and process the information by itself.

  Each of these information processing apparatuses PC1 to PC3 synchronously holds all or part of common data (hereinafter also referred to as workspace data) that defines the workspace and the objects included in the workspace, A virtual space (collaborative work space) that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users (or from a plurality of nodes) is provided. That is, when the workspace data is changed by a user operation on any of the information processing apparatuses PC, information for updating the workspace data is also transmitted to the other information processing apparatuses PC. By performing such synchronization processing as needed, substantially the same work space is provided in any information processing apparatus PC.

  Each information processing apparatus PC does not necessarily have to be connected to the same layer network as long as it can logically communicate data with each other.

<Hardware configuration>
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of a personal computer that is a representative example of information processing apparatus PC according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 2, information processing device PC according to the present embodiment temporarily stores a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 2 that executes various programs including an operating system, and data necessary for execution of the program by CPU 2. A memory 14 serving as a storage unit for storage and a hard disk unit (HDD) 12 for storing a program executed by the CPU 2 in a nonvolatile manner are included. Such a program is read from a CD-ROM 16a or a flexible disk 18a by a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) drive 16 or a flexible disk (FD: Flexible Disk) drive 18, respectively.

  The CPU 2 receives an operation request from the user via the input device 10 including a keyboard and a mouse, and outputs a screen generated by executing the program to the monitor 6 that is a display unit. In addition, the CPU 2 performs data communication with another information processing apparatus PC or server apparatus SRV via the communication interface 8 including a LAN card or the like. These parts are connected to each other via the internal bus 4.

  Note that any device may be used as long as it functions as “node” in this specification, and for example, a mobile phone having a communication function may be used.

<Workspace>
In this specification, “workspace” means a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users (or from a plurality of nodes), and is referred to in the workspace data and the workspace data. A workspace is provided by a file. In the present specification, a rendering (visualization) of workspace data, object data, and the like may be referred to as a “workspace”.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of work space WS according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 3A shows an example of the entire image of the visualized work space WS. As an example, it is assumed that the workspace WS includes three objects OBJ1 to OBJ3. In this specification, “object” means general data that can be added to the workspace. This object is the unit of operation target of the user. Examples of this object include graphics, text documents, worksheet cells, images, audio, logs, tags, bookmarks, annotations, user information, and the like. In the following example, a configuration using arbitrary electronically manageable information such as a text object (text) indicating a character, a line object (line) which is a typical example of a graphic, and an image object (image) indicating an image will be described. To do. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3A, an “image object” is illustrated as the object OBJ1, a “character object” is illustrated as the object OBJ2, and a “line object” is illustrated as the object OBJ3.

  The size of the work space WS can be freely set, and is generally set to be larger than the display size of the monitor 6 of each information processing apparatus PC. Therefore, in many cases, only a partial area of the work space WS is rendered (visualized) on the monitor 6 of each information processing apparatus PC as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 3B shows an example in which the view image 300 corresponding to the view range VA in FIG.

  The user selects an area to be rendered on the monitor 6 in the workspace WS using the input device 10 (FIG. 2) such as a keyboard and a mouse, selects various operation buttons, and selects an object to be displayed. By dragging, it is possible to perform operations such as creating, changing, and deleting each object.

<Overview>
Next, with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the review function in the workspace according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a workspace according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram for illustrating the review function according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  For example, it is assumed that the workspace at a certain time is in a state as shown in FIG. It is assumed that a plurality of users are working on this workspace at the same time. Here, it is assumed that one of the users has moved an image (object OBJ1) showing Mt. Fuji on this workspace. FIG. 4B shows a state after the object OBJ1 is moved.

  At this time, it is assumed that, at the timing when the change (movement) is made to the object OBJ1, a user other than the user who made the change happens to be away from his / her seat or the like, and is not looking at the workspace. In such a situation, the other user may want to see what has changed in the workspace.

  In response to such a request, the workspace according to the present embodiment provides a review function capable of confirming the state of an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a past designated time or time zone. As the review function, first, a user who wants to confirm the state of a past workspace performs a predetermined operation to display a review screen on the information processing apparatus PC. FIG. 5A shows an example in which the review screen 400 is displayed. The review screen 400 includes a display area 402 indicating the past state of the workspace and an operation area 404 for inputting a past time (time zone) to be displayed.

  When the user inputs a desired time in the time input box 406 in the display area 402 using the input device 10 (FIG. 2) such as a keyboard or a mouse and presses the display button 408, the workspace at the input time is displayed. Is displayed in the display area 402. That is, the state before the change of the object that has been changed within a predetermined time including the specified time is displayed. In particular, in the review function according to the present embodiment, an object that has been changed most recently at a specified time and an object related to the object are selectively displayed. That is, the entire workspace at the specified time is not displayed as it is, but the changed object (object OBJ1 in the case of FIG. 4) and the object related to the object OBJ1 (FIG. 5B) are displayed. In the case shown, only the object OBJ3 is displayed. In the case shown in FIG. 5C, the objects OBJ2 and OBJ3) are displayed.

  In this way, the object that has been changed and the object related to it are extracted and displayed, and as shown in FIG. 4, even if there are many other objects that have not been changed, It is possible to intuitively grasp which object has been changed.

  Furthermore, in the workspace according to the present embodiment, an object to be displayed (review object) is determined according to the degree of association (relationship) between objects. For example, FIGS. 5B and 5C show a case where the degree of association between the object OBJ1 and the object OBJ2 is relatively low compared to the degree of association between the object OBJ1 and the object OBJ3. Therefore, FIG. 5B shows a case where only the object OBJ3 having a relatively high degree of association with the object OBJ1 is displayed according to the specified relation strength between the objects, and FIG. The case where the object OBJ2 having a relatively low degree of association is displayed in addition to the object OBJ3 having a relatively high degree of relation to the object OBJ1 is shown.

<Control structure>
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control structure of each information processing apparatus PC according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a more detailed control structure of the review function unit 254 shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 6, each information processing apparatus PC has, as its control structure, a synchronization control unit 250, a data operation unit 252, a review function unit 254, a drawing unit 256, a user authentication unit 258, and data transmission / reception. Unit 260 and data storage unit 262. The data storage unit 262 is provided as an arbitrary area of the hard disk unit 12 (FIG. 2), the data transmission / reception unit 260 is provided by cooperation of the communication interface 8 (FIG. 2) and related driver software, and the other units are Typically, it is provided by the CPU 2 (FIG. 2) developing the program in the memory 14 (FIG. 2) and executing each command.

  The data storage unit 262 also has information for specifying other nodes (information processing apparatus PC) that can be connected via the network NW (FIG. 1) (for example, a unique that can uniquely specify each node such as an IP address). Connection table 262a in which the destination information is described in a list format, workspace data 262b for configuring the workspace, review workspace data 262c for providing the review function shown in FIG. 5, and workspace Change information data 262d for storing an update history of the data 262b.

  The synchronization control unit 250 synchronizes the work space data 262b configuring the work space WS with another node (information processing apparatus PC). That is, when any change is made to the work space data 262b in its own node, the synchronization control unit 250 uses the changed part of the changed work space data 262b (hereinafter also referred to as “updated information data”) as the work. It transmits to other nodes participating in the space WS. In addition, when the updated control data is received from another node, the synchronization control unit 250 updates (overwrites) the work space data 262b stored in the data storage unit 262 of the own device accordingly.

  As described above, such a synchronization process may be executed as an event that some operation is performed in each information processing apparatus PC, and in addition to or instead of this, a predetermined process may be performed. All nodes (information processing apparatuses PC) participating in the work space WS for each cycle are matched with the data, and the contents of the work space data 262b are changed according to the result. Good.

  The data operation unit 252 performs new creation, change, deletion, etc. of an object in accordance with the operation of the input device 10 (FIG. 2) by the user. By the operation by the user, the data operation unit 252 adds, changes, deletes the definition of the work space data 262b stored in the data storage unit 262, and the like.

  The drawing unit 256 performs a drawing process (rendering process) based on information included in the view range designated by the user among the information of the work space data 262b. That is, the drawing unit 256 visualizes an area specified by the user in the work space WS. More specifically, the drawing unit 256 refers to the work space data 262b and periodically outputs data indicating an image to be displayed on the monitor 6 (FIG. 2) to a video memory (not shown). An image is displayed on the monitor 6 in accordance with the data stored in the video memory.

  The user authentication unit 258 executes user authentication processing for users who use each information processing apparatus PC. Specifically, the user authentication unit 258 prompts for input of an ID and a password when any user starts using each information processing apparatus PC. When the user inputs an ID and password, an inquiry is made to a user table (not shown) stored in advance or a user authentication server (not shown) to perform user authentication processing. If the user authentication is successful, the user is permitted to use the information processing apparatus PC, and the user name currently being used (logged in) is retained. In the information processing apparatus PC according to the present embodiment, it is only necessary to be able to identify the user who uses each apparatus.

  The data transmitting / receiving unit 260 controls data communication with other nodes (information processing apparatus PC). Specifically, in response to a request from the synchronization control unit 250, the data transmission / reception unit 260 reads all or part of the work space data 262b stored in the data storage unit 262, and transmits it to another node. Alternatively, all or part of the work space data 262b received from another node is passed to the synchronization control unit 250. Note that the data transmission / reception unit 260 refers to the connection table 262a stored in the data storage unit 262, and specifies a partner to transmit / receive data.

  The review function unit 254 is a part that mainly provides the review function according to the present embodiment, and when the execution of the review function is instructed by the operation of the input device 10 (FIG. 2) by the user, the review function unit 254 reviews the data storage unit 262. Work space data 262c is created. Then, the review function unit 254 extracts the object that was changed most recently at the time (or time zone) specified by the user and the object related to the object, and updates the content of the review workspace data 262c. . Furthermore, the review function unit 254 displays a review screen 400 as shown in FIG. 5 on the monitor 6 (FIG. 2) based on the review workspace data 262c.

  Referring to FIG. 7, more specifically, review function unit 254 includes an object extraction unit 2541, a related object search unit 2542, and a state information recording unit 2543.

  The object extraction unit 2541 refers to the change information data 262d stored in the data storage unit 262 (FIG. 6) based on the time (or time zone) designated by the user, and the object to be reviewed (hereinafter referred to as the object to be reviewed) Simply referred to as “target object”). More specifically, as will be described later, the change information data 262d stores the change contents (contents of the change operation) on the workspace in association with the time information (time), and the object extraction unit 2541 Extracts contents (objects) that have been changed before the designated time as review targets. Note that the object extraction unit 2541 basically extracts the latest change before the specified time as a review target, but may extract a plurality of objects as targets. If the same object has been changed a plurality of times, the newest one may be extracted, or a plurality may be extracted in order from the newest one.

  The object extraction unit 2541 sequentially adds the contents (description) of these extracted objects to the review work space data 262c. Further, the object extraction unit 2541 receives a notification about another object having a degree of association specified by the target object by the related object search unit 2542 described later, and further extracts an object related to the target object. Then, the object extracting unit 2541 also adds these related objects to the review workspace data 262c.

  The related object search unit 2542 refers to the work space data 262b and evaluates the degree of relevance between each object on the work space and the review target object extracted by the object extracting unit 2541. Then, the related object search unit 2542 notifies the object extraction unit 2541 of the object having the related strength specified by the user. The following forms can be considered as a method for evaluating the degree of association.

  (1) When the data indicating an object includes some data (link attribute or the like) indicating the relationship with another object, it is evaluated that there is a relationship. For example, it is a case where identification information of another object is described in one object.

  (2) When the state values of the objects are substantially the same or approximate, it is evaluated that the two objects are related to each other. For example, there are cases where a change operation is performed in a certain time zone, or a change operation is performed by the same user. Note that the state value of an object means attribute information other than the substance of the object. For example, the arrangement coordinates of the object, the contents of the change operation applied to the object, the time zone in which the object exists in the user's view range, the owner of the object, the creator of the object, and the like.

  (3) If the distance between objects on the workspace is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it is evaluated that both objects are related to each other. The distance between the objects is evaluated based on the distance between the two objects on the two-dimensional coordinates (such as Euclidean distance).

  (4) When a plurality of objects are grouped together (grouped), when any one of the grouped objects is set as a review target, other objects belonging to the group are Assess that they are related to each other. As a form of grouping, a method of registering identification information of each object in the list table is conceivable.

Hereinafter, the above-described case (1) will be mainly exemplified.
The state information recording unit 2543 displays updated information data 280 indicating the contents of the change operation when an change operation such as addition of an object on the workspace and change or deletion of any object on the workspace is performed. And the contents of the work space data 262b overwritten (deleted) by the updated information data 280 are sequentially written in the change information data 262d of the data storage unit 262. Therefore, when any object is changed, information indicating the state before the change is sequentially written in the change information data 262d.

<Data structure>
Referring to FIG. 8, the data structure of work space data 262b for configuring work space WS according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 shows an example of the contents of work space data 262b according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 corresponds to the case where three objects OBJ1 to OBJ3 are arranged on the work space as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, each data is typically described in a markup language such as XML. This is to enhance the expandability of the system by freely setting element tags (values given to characters surrounded by <> and </>).

  Referring to FIG. 8, workspace data 262b includes a workspace tag 101 for specifying the workspace and a description defining each object. The workspace tag 101 is defined as a workspace element, and includes a workspace identification number (id) and a creator (Author) as attributes. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the identification number attribute = “1”, and the creator attribute = “Node 2”.

  The description defining each object includes an element tag indicating the type (image / text / line) of each object, an attribute indicating the coordinate position (x, y) described in the element, and identification of the object It includes an attribute indicating a number (oid).

  Further, in the element tag of each object, an element indicating the entity of the corresponding object, an element indicating the display rate of the corresponding object, an element indicating the time when the change operation is performed, and an association with another object are indicated. Elements etc. are included.

  For example, the definition 111 of the object OBJ1 is an image (image) arranged at the position of x = '82 ', y =' 249 ', and an element indicating that the identification number (oid) is “1”. Including. Further, the definition 111 indicates that the file name (fuji.jpg) of the image entity is the reference destination (src), and that the display magnification (scale) of the object OBJ1 is “0.25” times. And an element indicating that the time (time) when the object OBJ1 is added / changed is “20/20/2008 15:01:10”.

  The definition 112 of the object OBJ2 is an element indicating that the text (text) is arranged at the position of x = '369', y = '255', and the identification number (oid) is "2". Including. Further, the definition 112 includes an element indicating that the entity (src) of the text object is “ABC” and the time (time) when the object OBJ2 is created / changed is “September 20, 2008 10:20:32”. ”Is included.

  The definition 113 of the object OBJ3 includes an element indicating that the object is a line object (line) and the identification number (oid) is “3”. Furthermore, the definition 113 indicates that the element indicating the coordinates of each vertex defining the line object and the time (time) when the object OBJ3 is created / changed is “September 20, 2008 14:45:29”. Contains the indicated element.

  In particular, the definition 111 of the object OBJ1 includes an element tag (link) 111a for defining an object associated with the object OBJ1, and the identification number (FIG. 8) of the associated object is used as the value of the link tag. In the example shown in “3”, “3”) is described. That is, according to the definition 111 shown in FIG. 8, the object OBJ1 is associated with the object OBJ3 whose identification number (oid) = “3”.

  The link attribute is automatically added by an explicit operation of the user, for example, an operation in which the user continuously selects an object on the workspace and another object. Also good.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing association between objects defined by the workspace data shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 8, object OBJ1 is associated with object OBJ3 by element tag 111a described above. On the other hand, for the objects OBJ2 and OBJ3, since the <link> tag is not defined in the definitions 112 and 113, there is no special association with other objects. Such a relationship is schematically shown in FIG.

  For example, when defining a mutual association between the object OBJ1 and the object OBJ3, after adding a <link> tag in the definition 113 of the object OBJ3, “1” indicating the object OBJ1 as the value thereof "Can be added. By adding such a link attribute, it can be defined that the object OBJ1 and the object OBJ3 are associated with each other.

  Although FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the work space WS is configured using one work space data 262b, an arbitrary data structure can be adopted. For example, a configuration using a plurality of files as a hierarchical structure or a configuration in which a plurality of files are associated with each other such as a relational database can be adopted.

  It is also possible to share an arbitrary number of work spaces WS between the information processing apparatus PC groups. In this case, the target workspace WS is specified based on the value of the above-described workspace identification number (workspace id). In other words, when only one work space WS is shared between the information processing apparatus PC groups, it is not always necessary to describe the above-mentioned work space identification number.

<Overview of synchronization processing>
With reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, synchronization processing in the workspace according to the present embodiment will be described. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 13, processing when a user operation (moving operation) is performed on the object OBJ1 illustrated in FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state where there is a work space according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state immediately after a user operation is performed on node 1 in the state illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state during the synchronization process after FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the synchronization process related to the user operation illustrated in FIG. 11 is completed.

  Referring to FIG. 10, in a state where the synchronization process is completed, each of node 1 to node 3 holds work space data 262b in which the same contents are described.

  Referring to FIG. 11, it is assumed that the user of node1 operates input device 10 such as a mouse, drags object OBJ1 (see FIG. 3A) on workspace WS, and changes the position of object OBJ1. . It is assumed that the time when this operation is performed is “September 20, 2008, 16:30:20”. With the user operation of node1, the data operation unit 252 (FIG. 6) of node1 acquires the position information after the change of the object OBJ1, and the work stored in the data storage unit 262 (FIG. 6) of the own device. The corresponding value of the space data 262b is changed.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the value of the element describing the object OBJ1 of the workspace data 262b held by node1 is changed from “x = '82'y =' 249 '" to "x =' 209'y. = '230' ". Further, the value in the time tag in the element tag is rewritten from “2008-09-20 15:01:10” to “2008-09-20 16:30:20”.

  Along with the change of the work space data 262b, the synchronization control unit 250 (FIG. 6) of the node 1 executes the synchronization process so that this change is reflected on the other nodes. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the synchronization control unit 250 of the node 1 participates in the workspace WS with the updated information data 280 indicating the difference between the change of the work space data 262 b in the own device and the change before the change. To each of the other nodes. The node 1 refers to the connection table 262a to identify another node that holds the workspace data 262b in synchronization, that is, another node that participates in the same workspace.

  An example of the contents of the post-update information data 280 shown in FIG. 12 includes the entire definition of the changed object. Further, information (not shown) for specifying the transmission source and transmission destination of the updated information data 280 is also added to the updated information data 280. As post-update information data 280, the entire definition of the object to be changed may not be transmitted, but only the changed part may be transmitted.

  The nodes 2 and 3 that have received the updated information data 280 overwrite the updated information data 280 with the corresponding contents of the work space data 262b stored in their own data storage unit 262. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the changed workspace data 262b is commonly held in all the nodes participating in the workspace WS.

  Hereinafter, even if a user is made in any node, the same synchronization processing as described above is executed.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of the content of change information data 262d according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 shows the contents generated as a result of the synchronization processing shown in FIGS.

  Referring to FIG. 14, when updated information data 280 indicating the state after update of object OBJ1 as shown in FIG. 12 is generated or received, definition 111A indicating the state before change of object OBJ1 is changed. It is stored as information data 262d. Here, in the change information data 262d, the contents are sequentially stored by using the <change> tag to distinguish the units in which changes to any object are executed.

<Workspace data for review and display processing>
Next, review workspace data generation processing will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 15 shows an example of the initial state of the review workspace data according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is an example showing a state in which the target object is extracted after the initial state shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is an example showing a state in which related objects are extracted after the state shown in FIG.

  First, when the user operates the input device 10 such as a keyboard and a mouse to give a predetermined command to the information processing apparatus PC, a review screen 400 as shown in FIG. The review work space data 262c is temporarily generated in the data storage unit 262. The review workspace is preferably deleted when the review function has been provided.

  FIG. 15A shows an example of the work space data 262b immediately after the review function is started, and FIG. 15B shows an example of the review work space data 262c immediately after the review function is started.

  As shown in FIG. 15B, immediately after the review function is started, only the workspace tag 101A is described in the review workspace data 262c. The workspace tag 101 is defined as a workspace element, like the workspace data 262b. However, the identification number attribute is “temp” which means temporary. In addition, the creator attribute of the review workspace data 262c shown in FIG. 15B is “Node2”, which means that the user who has logged in to the node2 has started the review function.

  Subsequently, when the user inputs (specifies) the time when the user wants to check the status of the workspace in the operation area 404 of the review screen 400 as shown in FIG. 5A, the review function unit 254 (FIG. 6). ) (More specifically, the object extraction unit 2541 (FIG. 7)) refers to the change information data 262d, and extracts the latest one of the change histories before the designated time. When a plurality of change histories having the same identification number (oid) are searched, the one with the latest change time is extracted.

  Here, it is assumed that the contents as shown in FIG. 14 are described in the change information data 262d, and the time specified by the user is “September 20, 2008, 16:00:00”. Then, the object extraction unit 2541 extracts the definition 111A that indicates the state before the change of the object OBJ1 stored in the change information data 262d as a review target. Then, the object extraction unit 2541 adds the extracted definition 111A to the review workspace data 262c. FIG. 16B shows a state in which the definition 111A is added to the review workspace data 262c.

  Subsequently, the review function unit 254 (FIG. 6) (more specifically, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7)) refers to the workspace data 262b, and for each object on the current workspace, the target object Assess the degree of association between Then, the related object search unit 2542 specifies an object (related object) having a related strength specified by the user among the objects on the workspace with the target object. The object extraction unit 2541 adds the definition of the identified related object to the review workspace data 262c.

  In the workspace data 262b shown in FIG. 16A, since the link attribute is set from the object OBJ1 to the object OBJ3, the object OBJ3 is evaluated to be related to the object OBJ1, and the current state of the object OBJ3 is determined. Are extracted from the workspace data 262b and added to the review workspace data 262c. If the definition of the object having the same identification number (oid) has already been added to the review workspace data 262c, no further addition is performed. This is because the objects having the same identification number (oid), that is, the same object as viewed from the user, are displayed at the positions before and after the change, and the visibility is lowered.

  FIG. 17B shows a state in which the definition 113 of the object OBJ3 is added to the review workspace data 262c. When review workspace data 262c as shown in FIG. 17B is generated, a review screen 400 as shown in FIG. 5B is displayed. The drawing process based on the review workspace data 262c may be executed by the drawing unit 256 (FIG. 6). Further, when the user instructs to end the display of the review screen 400, the display of the review screen 400 disappears and the review work space data 262c is also deleted.

  The review screen 400 may be displayed in a state independent of the screen for displaying the original workspace, or the review screen 400 may be used for the review instead of the current workspace on the screen for displaying the original workspace. You may display the workspace.

  As described above, in addition to the target object, by displaying the objects related to the target object at the same time, if only objects that have been changed in some way are displayed, what changes (for example, how much have been moved) ) May be difficult to grasp intuitively, but by displaying together with related objects, you can see the relative changes between the objects, so the changes in the target object are more reliable. Can intuitively grasp.

<Relationship strength between objects>
In the above description, the case where one link attribute from one object to another object is set has been described, but when more link attributes are set, these are sequentially displayed and displayed. Is also possible.

  FIG. 18 shows another example of the contents of workspace data 262b according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically showing association between objects defined by the workspace data shown in FIG. FIG. 20 shows another form of the review screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The workspace data 262b shown in FIG. 18 is obtained by changing the definition 113 of the object OBJ3 to the definition 113A of the object OBJ3 in the workspace data 262b shown in FIG. 8, and this definition 113 # is associated with the object OBJ3. An element tag (link) 113a for defining an object is included. For example, “2” is described as the value of the <link> tag. Therefore, according to the definition 113 # shown in FIG. 18, the object OBJ3 is associated with the object OBJ2 having the identification number (oid) = “2”.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 19, a link attribute from the object OBJ1 to the object OBJ3 is set, and a link attribute from the object OBJ3 to the object OBJ2 is set.

  Thus, when the link attribute is set over a plurality of stages, the relation strength between objects may be set. The relationship strength between objects is an index indicating the strength of the relationship between objects. When the link attribute as shown in FIG. 18 is set, one link attribute is set as one level of relationship strength. Can be considered. That is, when the relation strength is set to “2”, an object associated with the link attribute twice from the target object is extracted as a related object.

  As a user interface for setting such a relation strength, a review screen 400 # as shown in FIG. 20 can be adopted. The review screen 400 # is further provided with a related strength input box 410 and a related strength input operation button 412 in the review screen 400 shown in FIG. The user can input a desired related strength in the related strength input box 410 by pressing the related strength input operation button 412. In the related strength input box 410, the currently set related strength is displayed.

  When such a relation strength is set, when the definition of the target object is first added to the review workspace data 262c, the related object search unit 2542 of the review function unit 254 is currently defining the added object. It is determined whether or not the link attribute is set in. If the link attribute is set, the definition of the object to which the identification information (oid) defined in the <link> tag is assigned is searched from the workspace data 262b. The definition of the searched object is added to the review workspace data 262c by the object extraction unit 2541 of the review function unit 254.

  Furthermore, the related object search unit 2542 determines whether or not the link attribute is set during the definition of the added object. If the link attribute is set, the definition of the object to which the identification information (oid) defined as the link attribute is assigned is searched again from the work space data 262b. The definition of the searched object is further added to the review workspace data 262c by the object extraction unit 2541 of the review function unit 254.

  The above procedure is repeated a number of times according to the related strength specified by the user. By such processing, an object having relevance according to the relevance strength is displayed together with the target object.

  FIG. 21 shows another example of the contents of workspace data 262b according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 is generated based on the work space data 262b shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 21A shows an example in which the relation strength is set to “2”. (B) shows an example when the relation strength is set to “0”.

  FIG. 21A shows the definition 113 of the object OBJ3 in which the link attribute is set in the object OBJ1 after the definition 111A indicating the state before the change of the object OBJ1 as the target object is added to the change information data 262d. Finally, the result of adding the definition 112 of the object OBJ2 in which the link attribute is set to the object OBJ3 is shown. That is, a result reflecting the link attribute of two times for associating objects is shown.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 21B, since the definition 111A indicating the state before the change of the object OBJ1 that is the target object is added to the change information data 262d, the relation strength is set to “0”. The object associated with OBJ1 is not searched. That is, no related object is displayed at all. As a result, only the definition 111A is described in the change information data 262d.

  As described above, the user can adjust the range of related objects to be displayed because the related strength can be freely changed, whereby the review screen can be confirmed in the most easily understood manner.

<Processing procedure>
FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for collecting change information data according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the review function according to the embodiment of the present invention. Each processing procedure shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is typically provided by the CPU 2 (FIG. 2) of each information processing apparatus PC executing a program.

  Referring to FIG. 22, in step S100, CPU 2 determines whether or not a change operation has been performed on any object on the workspace. If a change operation has been performed on any object on the workspace (YES in step S100), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if no change operation has been performed on any object on the workspace (NO in step S100), the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S102, the CPU 2 generates post-update information data 280 for updating the contents of the work space data 262b stored in the data storage unit 262 in response to a user operation. In subsequent step S104, the CPU 2 extracts the contents of the work space data 262b to be overwritten by the generated post-update information data 280, and adds it to the change information data 262d. In further subsequent step S106, the CPU 2 overwrites the updated information data 280 with the contents of the work space data 262b. In further subsequent step S108, the CPU 2 transmits the generated post-update information data 280 to another node (information processing apparatus PC) that holds the same work space data 262b synchronously. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S110, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the updated information data 280 is received from another node (information processing apparatus PC). When updated information data 280 is received from another node (information processing apparatus PC) (YES in step S110), the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, when updated information data 280 has not been received from another node (information processing apparatus PC) (NO in step S110), the process returns.

  In step S112, the CPU 2 extracts the contents of the work space data 262b to be overwritten by the received updated information data 280, and adds it to the change information data 262d. In further subsequent step S114, CPU 2 overwrites the content of work space data 262b with updated information data 280 received. Thereafter, the process returns.

  Note that the processing procedure shown in FIG. 22 is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals or every event occurrence as long as the node (information processing apparatus PC) participates in any of the workspaces.

  Referring to FIG. 23, in step S200, CPU 2 determines whether or not execution of a review function has been instructed. If execution of the review function is instructed (YES in step S200), the process proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, when execution of the review function is not instructed (NO in step S200), the process of step S200 is repeated.

  In step S <b> 202, the CPU 2 generates review work space data 262 c in the data storage unit 262. In subsequent step S <b> 204, the CPU 2 displays a review screen 400 on the monitor 6. In further subsequent step S206, CPU 2 determines whether or not a time for review has been designated. If the time for review is designated (YES in step S206), the process proceeds to step S208. On the other hand, when the time for review is not designated (NO in step S206), the process of step S206 is repeated.

  In step S208, the CPU 2 extracts an object to be reviewed from the change information data 262d stored in the data storage unit 262 (FIG. 6) based on the designated time. More specifically, the CPU 2 extracts changes (objects) made before the designated time as a review target. In subsequent step S210, CPU 2 adds the extracted target object to review workspace data 262c. In further subsequent step S212, CPU 2 determines whether or not the specified association strength is zero. If the specified association strength is zero (YES in step S212), the process proceeds to step S230. On the other hand, if the specified association strength is not zero (NO in step S212), the process proceeds to step S214.

  In step S214, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the link attribute is set in the extracted definition of the target object. If the link attribute is set in the extracted definition of the target object (YES in step S214), the process proceeds to step S216. On the other hand, if the link attribute is not set in the definition of the extracted target object (NO in step S214), the process proceeds to step S230.

  In step S216, the CPU 2 determines whether there is an object having the same identification number (oid) as the identification number (oid) of the set link attribute in the work space data 262b of the data storage unit 262. When there is an object having the same identification number (oid) as the set link attribute identification number (oid) (YES in step S216), the process proceeds to step S218. On the other hand, when there is no object having the same identification number (oid) as the identification number (oid) of the set link attribute (NO in step S216), the process proceeds to step S230.

  In step S218, the CPU 2 determines whether or not an object having the same identification number (oid) as the set identification number (oid) of the link attribute already exists in the review workspace data 262c. If an object having the same identification number (oid) as the set link attribute identification number (oid) already exists in the review workspace data 262c (YES in step S218), the process proceeds to step S230. move on. On the other hand, if an object having the same identification number (oid) as the set link attribute identification number (oid) does not already exist in the review workspace data 262c (NO in step S218), the process proceeds to step S21. Proceed to S220.

  In step S220, the CPU 2 adds an object having the same identification number (oid) as the identification number (oid) of the set link attribute to the review workspace data 262c as a related object. In the subsequent step S222, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the presence or absence of setting of the link attribute has been searched for the number of times of the specified relation strength. When searching for the presence / absence of setting of the link attribute by the number of times of the specified association strength (YES in step S222), the process proceeds to step S230. On the other hand, if the presence / absence of setting of the link attribute has not yet been searched for the number of times of the specified relation strength (NO in step S222), the process proceeds to step S224.

  In step S224, the CPU 2 determines whether or not the link attribute is set in the definition of the related object newly added to the review workspace data 262c. If the link attribute is set in the definition of the related object newly added to the review workspace data 262c (YES in step S224), the process of step S216 is repeated. On the other hand, if the link attribute is not set in the definition of the related object newly added to the review workspace data 262c (NO in step S224), the process proceeds to step S230.

  In step S230, the CPU 2 displays the review screen 400 on the monitor 6 based on the review workspace data 262c. In subsequent step S232, CPU 2 determines whether display end of review screen 400 has been instructed or not. If display end of review screen 400 is instructed (YES in step S232), the process proceeds to step S234. On the other hand, when the display end of review screen 400 is not instructed (NO in step S232), the process of step S232 is repeated.

  In step S234, the CPU 2 deletes the review work space data 262c in the data storage unit 262. In subsequent step S236, CPU 2 erases the display of review screen 400 being displayed. Then, the process ends.

<Modification 1>
In the above-described embodiment, the processing for extracting related objects when the objects are explicitly associated is illustrated. In addition to the related object extraction process, the related object may be extracted based on the viewing range (view range) of the user. Hereinafter, an example of such processing will be described.

  FIG. 24 shows an example of the content of work space data 262b # according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship of the view ranges defined by the work space data 262b # shown in FIG. FIG. 26 shows an example of the content of change information data 262d # according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

  The workspace data 262b # shown in FIG. 24 is obtained by adding information indicating the position of the view range (range displayed on the workspace) in each node to the workspace data 262b shown in FIG. Specifically, definitions 121, 122, and 123 indicating the view ranges of node1, node2, and node3 are added.

  For example, the view range definition 121 of node1 includes an element tag (view) indicating that the view range is defined and an attribute (id) indicating the identification number of the displayed node. Furthermore, each view element tag includes an element indicating the reference position of the view range, an element indicating the size (width and height) of the view range, an element indicating the time when the view range is changed, and the like. .

  For example, the view range definition 121 of the node 1 is that the view shape is a rectangle (rect), the position of x = '121', y = '44 'is arranged at the upper left, and the width is' 160', An element indicating that the height is “110” is included. Further, the definition 121 includes an element indicating that the time (time) when the view range is changed is “September 20, 2008 10:20:10”.

  The view range definition 122 of node2 is that the view shape is a rectangle (rect), the position of x = '19 ', y = '69' is arranged at the upper left, and the width is '165'. , Including an element indicating that the height is '114'. Further, the definition 122 includes an element indicating that the time (time) when the view range is changed is “September 20, 2008, 5:00:30”.

  Further, the view range definition 123 of the node 3 is such that the view shape is a rectangle (rect), the position of x = '121', y = '44 'is arranged at the upper left, and the width is' 160'. , Including an element indicating that the height is “110”. Furthermore, the definition 123 includes an element indicating that the time (time) when the view range is changed is “September 20, 2008 10:20:10”.

  FIG. 25 schematically shows the positional relationship between the view ranges of the nodes described in the work space data 262b # shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 25, in this example, the view ranges of node1 and node3 are set to the same range, and the view range of node2 is set to overlap with the view ranges of node1 and node3. And

  According to the first modification of the present embodiment, the setting of the view range of each node is also held in synchronization between the information processing apparatuses PC. Therefore, even when the view range of any node is changed, the change contents are notified to other nodes. That is, the updated information data 280 indicating the content of the change operation includes the content of the view range change.

  Therefore, the change information data 262d # generated based on the post-update information data 280 also reflects the change contents of the view range as shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, similarly to the case described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17 described above, a case where any user moves the object OBJ1 on the workspace will be considered. Then, processing in the case where the operation review for the object OBJ1 is performed in the node 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 27 is an example showing an initial state of the review workspace data according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 shows an example in which the target object is extracted after the initial state shown in FIG. FIG. 29 is an example showing a state in which related objects are extracted after the state shown in FIG. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a review screen according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the user of node 2 operates the input device 10 such as a keyboard or a mouse to give a predetermined command to the information processing device PC2, a review screen 400 as shown in FIG. At the same time, review work space data 262 c as shown in FIG. 27B is temporarily generated in the data storage unit 262. FIG. 27A shows the contents of the current work space data 262b #.

  Subsequently, when the user of node 2 inputs (specifies) the time at which the user wants to check the status of the workspace in the operation area 404 of the review screen 400 as shown in FIG. 30A, the review function unit 254 ( FIG. 6) extracts, from the objects described in the change information data 262d #, the newest one whose change time is earlier than the specified time. When a plurality of change histories having the same identification number (oid) are searched, the one with the latest change time is extracted.

  Furthermore, the object extraction unit 2541 (FIG. 7) of the review function unit 254 is earlier than the designated time in the view range of node2 described in the change information data 262d #. And the newest one is extracted. These extracted object definition and view range definition are added to the review workspace data 262c.

  Here, it is assumed that the content as shown in FIG. 26 is described in the change information data 262d #, and the time designated by the user is “September 20, 2008, 16:00:00”. Then, the description shown in FIG. 28B is added to the review workspace data 262c. That is, the review workspace data 262c includes a definition 111A indicating the state of the object OBJ1 before the change and a definition 122 indicating the view range of the node1.

  Subsequently, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7) of the review function unit 254 searches for a related object for the target object based on the view range of node1. More specifically, the related object search unit 2542 is a range (in this case, node2) that is viewed by the user of the node (in this case, node2) who has instructed the review function at the time when the target object is changed. An object whose whole or part is included in the (view range) is extracted as a related object.

  More specifically, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7) has the arrangement coordinates of the objects included in the workspace data 262b based on the definition of the view range added to the review workspace data 262c. Search for objects that are within the view range.

  In the above example, as shown in FIG. 25, the view range VA2 of node2 includes a part of the object OBJ3 in addition to the object OBJ1 that is the target object. Therefore, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7) determines that the object OBJ1 is a related object, and adds it to the review workspace data 262c. As a result, the contents of the review workspace data 262c are as shown in FIG. That is, the review workspace data 262c includes a definition 111A indicating a state before the change of the object OBJ1, a definition 122 indicating the view range of the node 1, and a definition 113 indicating the current state of the object OBJ3.

  If the definition of the object having the same identification number (oid) has already been added to the review workspace data 262c, no further addition is performed.

  Further, a review screen 400 as shown in FIG. 30B is displayed based on the review workspace data 262c as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 30B, the display range of the review screen 400 is preferably displayed in correspondence with the view range used in the related object search process. That is, it can be seen that the display area in the initial state of the review function shown in FIG. 30A is different from the display area after the time designation shown in FIG. 30B.

  In addition to the display mode as shown in FIG. 30B, a review screen in a range where the whole can be seen over may be selectively displayed.

  Further, when the user instructs to end the display of the review screen 400, the display of the review screen 400 disappears and the review work space data 262c is also deleted.

  In the first modification of the above-described embodiment, whether or not the search range of the related object is included in the view range in the node (node 2 in the above-described example) corresponding to the user who has instructed the review function has been determined. Specifically, it may be determined whether or not it is included in the view range in the node corresponding to the user who has changed the target object. By searching for a related object based on the view range related to the user who has made a change to the target object, the viewing range (view range) of the user who made the change to the target object can be reproduced. Therefore, it is possible to more easily grasp the intention of the user who has performed the changing operation.

  Since other processes are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, detailed description will not be repeated.

<Modification 2>
In the above-described embodiment, the processing for extracting related objects when the objects are explicitly associated is illustrated. In addition to the related object extraction processing, related objects may be extracted based on the distance between objects on the workspace. Hereinafter, an example of such processing will be described.

  As an example, as illustrated in FIG. 16B described above, it is assumed that the object OBJ1 is extracted as the target object, and the definition 111A indicating the state before the change of the object OBJ1 is added to the change information data 262d.

  In the subsequent related object search process, objects on the workspace that are within a predetermined distance from the position (x = '82 ', y =' 249 ') before the change of the object OBJ1 are extracted as related objects. More specifically, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7) of the review function unit 254 refers to the work space data 262b, and among the objects arranged on the current work space, the arrangement coordinates of the target object. Search for a certain distance from.

  FIG. 31 is an example showing a state where the target object and the related object are extracted according to the second modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

  As an example, with respect to the work space data 262b as shown in FIG. 31A, the arrangement coordinates x of the object OBJ2 are x = '369', y = '255', and the arrangement coordinates x of one vertex of the object OBJ3 = '168', y = '266'. If the definition of the object having the same identification number (oid) has already been added to the review workspace data 262c, no further addition is performed, so the object OBJ1 having the same identification number as the related object Excluded from object search.

  The distance (Euclidean distance) between the related object and the object OBJ2 is as follows. The unit is typically a pixel.

{{369-82) ² + (255-249) ² } ≈287> 150
The distance (Euclidean distance) between the related object and the object OBJ3 is as follows.

^{√ {(168-82) 2 + (} 266-249) 2} ≒ 88 <150
Here, for example, when the threshold value (distance) is “150”, the object OBJ2 is excluded from the related objects, and the object OBJ3 is extracted as a related object.

  The object extracted in this way is added to the review workspace data 262c, and as a result, the contents are as shown in FIG.

  Since other processes are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, detailed description will not be repeated.

<Modification 3>
In the above-described embodiment, the processing for extracting related objects when the objects are explicitly associated is illustrated. In addition to the association between objects, a plurality of objects may be grouped together (grouped). In such a case, an object belonging to the same group as the target object may be extracted as a related object.

  FIG. 32 shows an example of grouping definitions according to the third modification of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 32, by using the <group> tag to describe the identification numbers (oid) of a plurality of objects as elements, it is defined that the objects having the respective identification numbers (oid) are in the same group. Is done. The definition as shown in FIG. 32 is included in the work space data 262b. Therefore, the related object search unit 2542 (FIG. 7) of the review function unit 254 determines whether the extracted target object belongs to any group, and if it belongs to any group, Other objects belonging to the group are extracted as related objects. Then, the related object search unit 2542 adds the extracted related object to the review workspace data 262c.

  Since other processes are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, detailed description will not be repeated.

<Modification 4>
As a method for extracting related objects, the above-described embodiment and modifications 1 to 3 may be arbitrarily combined. Or you may enable it to select which extraction method is used according to a user's specification.

<Other forms of time specification method>
In the above-mentioned embodiment and its modification, it illustrated mainly about the form in which a user inputs a time directly as a numerical value. However, the following method can be employed as the time designation method.

(1) Graphical methods such as scroll bar, clock hands, and calendar display (2) Method of specifying time and time width including time (3) Method of interlocking with other schedulers Especially, it has a predetermined time width When adopting a method for specifying a time zone, it is preferable to extract a target object that has been changed in the designated time zone. By adopting such a method, a more detailed narrowing search is possible, and it is possible to support the understanding and grasping (review) of the user's change operation.

  In addition, by cooperating with other schedulers, it is possible to intuitively understand and grasp how it has been changed since a certain meeting, and it is more effective.

<Other forms of workspaces and objects>
In the above-described embodiment and its modification, the case of mainly handling a graphical object has been exemplified, but the same effect can be obtained for a character-based object such as a word processor or a worksheet. In such a case, for example, each paragraph is handled as a unit of change operation, and when any paragraph is changed or moved, it is possible to intuitively understand and grasp the operation such as change or move. it can.

<Other forms of review screen display>
In the above-described embodiment and its modified examples, the mode of displaying only the extracted target object and the related object has been mainly illustrated. However, the following display mode that makes these objects stand out from other objects is shown. It may be adopted.

(1) A form in which the extracted target object and related objects are displayed blinking (blinking) while displaying all objects on the workspace. (2) Among the objects on the workspace, the extracted target objects and related objects are displayed. (3) While displaying all objects on the workspace, change the display attributes (color, size, thickness, etc.) of the extracted target object and related objects. Displayed form <Action and effect>
According to the embodiment of the present invention and its modification, an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a time (or time zone) designated by the user is extracted as a target object, and the target object Related objects having relevance are extracted. Then, the state before the change operation of the target object and the current state of the related object are displayed separately from other objects on the workspace.

  In other words, at the time specified by the user, only the focused object and the portion (object) that is strongly related to the object are appropriately and selectively displayed, so that the change operation performed on the focused object can be performed. The background can be understood more easily. In addition, it is easy to understand how the content of the noted object has changed at each time.

  For example, by arranging the work status at each time in chronological order, what topic attracted attention at what point in time, what idea triggered it, and in what direction it changed Even members who did not participate in work on the space can easily understand. As a result, knowledge can be shared and effectively used within a group of a plurality of members.

<Other embodiments>
The program according to the present invention may be a program module that is provided as a part of a computer operating system (OS) and that calls necessary modules in a predetermined arrangement at a predetermined timing to execute processing. . In that case, the program itself does not include the module, and the process is executed in cooperation with the OS. A program that does not include such a module can also be included in the program according to the present invention.

  Furthermore, the program according to the present invention may be provided by being incorporated in a part of another program. Even in this case, the program itself does not include the module included in the other program, and the process is executed in cooperation with the other program. Such a program incorporated in another program can also be included in the program according to the present invention.

  The provided program product is installed in a program storage unit such as a hard disk and executed. Note that the program product includes the program itself and a storage medium in which the program is stored.

  Furthermore, part or all of the functions realized by the program according to the present invention may be configured by dedicated hardware.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  2 CPU, 4 internal bus, 6 monitor, 8 communication interface, 10 input device, 12 hard disk unit, 14 memory, 16 CD-ROM drive, 18 flexible disk drive, 250 synchronization control unit, 252 data operation unit, 254 review function unit 256 drawing unit, 258 user authentication unit, 260 data transmission / reception unit, 262 data storage unit, 262a connection table, 262b workspace data, 262c review workspace data, 262d change information data, 280 updated information data, 2541 object extraction Part, 2542 related object search part, 2543 state information recording part, NW network, PC, PC1 to PC3 information processing apparatus, SRV server apparatus.

Claims (11)

An information processing method for providing a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users, using a plurality of information processing apparatuses having a display unit and a storage unit,
The plurality of information processing devices synchronously holding the virtual work space and first information defining objects included in the virtual work space;
The at least one information processing apparatus stores the content of the change operation on the object included in the virtual work space in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation is performed;
The at least one information processing apparatus accepting designation of a time or a time zone from a user;
The at least one information processing apparatus refers to the second information and identifies an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a specified time or time zone as a target object;
The at least one information processing apparatus refers to the first information, and specifies an object on the virtual work space having a predetermined degree of association with the target object as a related object;
The at least one information processing apparatus includes a step of displaying states of the target object and the related object on the display unit.   The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of specifying as the related object includes a step of evaluating a degree of association between the object on the virtual work space and the target object.   The degree of association is evaluated in the step of evaluating the degree of association with the target object based on a description indicating an association with another object included in the definition of the object. Information processing method. The step of evaluating the relevance level includes:
Accepting the strength of relevance;
Further comprising the step of further specifying, as a related object, an object on the virtual workspace that has a degree of relevance with the previously specified related object over a range of strengths of the specified relevance. The information processing method described.   The step of evaluating the degree of association evaluates the degree of association between the target object and the target object based on an arrangement positional relationship between the target object and the object on the virtual work space. The information processing method according to any one of the above. The plurality of information processing devices further comprising a step of displaying on the display means the contents of the designated browsing range of the virtual work space;
The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of specifying as the related object, the related object is specified based on the browsing range at a specified time or time zone.   The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of specifying as the related object, the related object is specified based on a description indicating that a plurality of objects are handled as one group. .   The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying on the display unit includes a step of displaying a state before the change of the target object and a current state of the related object together. .   In the step of displaying the state before the change of the target object and the current state of the related object together, the state before the change of the target object The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein a current state of the related object is displayed. An information processing apparatus configured to be capable of data communication with other information processing apparatuses and providing a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users,
A display unit;
A storage unit;
Means for synchronizing and holding first information defining the virtual work space and an object included in the virtual work space with the other information processing apparatus;
Means for storing the contents of the change operation for the object included in the virtual work space in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation is executed;
Means for accepting designation of time or time zone from the user;
Means for referring to the second information and identifying an object for which a change operation has been performed within a predetermined time including a designated time or time zone as a target object;
Means for referring to the first information and identifying an object on the virtual work space having a predetermined degree of association with the target object as a related object;
An information processing apparatus comprising: means for displaying states of the target object and the related object on the display means. A program that provides a virtual work space that can be accessed simultaneously by a plurality of users, using a plurality of information processing devices having a display unit and a storage unit,
The program is stored in the information processing apparatus.
Holding the virtual work space and first information defining objects included in the virtual work space in synchronization with the other information processing apparatus;
Storing the content of the change operation on the object included in the virtual work space in the storage unit as second information in association with the time information when the change operation was performed;
A step of accepting a time or time zone designation from the user;
Referring to the second information, identifying an object that has been changed within a predetermined time including a designated time or time zone as a target object;
Referring to the first information, identifying an object on the virtual work space having a predetermined degree of association with the target object as a related object;
And displaying the state of the target object and the related object on the display means.