JP2013232819A - Electronic conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic conference system in which a load on a conference control server during a conference is reduced.SOLUTION: A client terminal 4 previously holds a role table that, for each of a plurality of roles different in authority from each other settable in an electronic conference system 1, defines a function executable by a user for whom the role is set. A meeting client 4a specifies a function corresponding to a role set by a user of the client terminal 4 by referring to the role table, and executes the specified function.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic conference system for conducting an electronic conference.

  Conventionally, many systems for conducting an electronic conference have been proposed. As an example, Patent Document 1 discloses a multimedia document conference participation system including a data communication network connected to a plurality of client stations, a meeting server, and a presentation server.

Special table hei 11-506595 (announced June 8, 1999)

  In the system of Patent Document 1, the presentation server sends the presentation image to the presenter's web browser. Here, the presenter's web browser displays buttons of “next”, “previous”, “stop”, and “indicator” in addition to the image of the presentation. These buttons are buttons for presenters. Therefore, in the system of Patent Document 1, the presentation server determines that the image transmission destination is the presenter and instructs the presenter's web browser to display a button corresponding to the presenter. . As a result, the burden on the presentation server during the meeting becomes heavy.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. And the objective is to provide the electronic conference system which reduced the burden of the meeting control server in a meeting.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an electronic conference system according to the present invention is an electronic conference system that includes a web server, a conference control server, and a plurality of terminals, and performs an electronic conference. The role of each user in a conference in which users of the plurality of terminals participate is set to one of a plurality of roles having different authority, and the conference control server communicates with the plurality of terminals. Each of the terminals holds a role table that defines functions that can be executed by a user who is set for the role in advance. A function according to the role set for the user of the terminal is specified with reference to the role table, and the specified function is executed.

  According to the above configuration, when each terminal executes a function according to the role set for the user of the terminal, the terminal does not inquire of the conference control unit what the function is, and holds it. By referring to the current role table. Thereby, the conference control server does not receive an inquiry regarding the function for each role from each terminal. Therefore, according to the electronic conference system of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on the conference control server during the conference.

  In the electronic conference system according to the present invention, each of the terminals further identifies and identifies the function corresponding to the role set for the user of the terminal with reference to the role table held by the terminal. It is preferable to display a user interface corresponding to the function.

  According to said structure, each terminal can display the user interface according to the user's role, without imposing a burden on a meeting control server.

  According to the electronic conference system of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on the conference control server during the conference.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the electronic conference system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the 1st-3rd client terminal which comprises the electronic conference system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows an example of the Deep Zoom data of the level 12 in this embodiment. (B) is a figure which shows an example of the Deep Zoom data of the level 11 in this embodiment. (C) is a figure which shows an example of the Deep Zoom data of the level 10 in this embodiment. (D) is a figure which shows an example of the Deep Zoom data of the level 9 in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen containing the list of the data regarding the meeting which the user of the 1st client terminal participated in the past. It is a figure which shows an example of the window containing the list of the users registered into the electronic conference system. It is a figure which shows an example of the window containing the list of the data regarding the meeting which the user of the 1st client terminal participated in the past. It is a figure which shows the window of a content manager. It is a figure which shows an example of the window containing the list of the content data regarding the meeting which each user of the 1st client terminal participated in the past. It is a figure which shows the window of the content manager of each user of the 1st client terminal. It is a figure which shows the window containing the list of the meetings which the user of the 1st client terminal participated in the past. It is a figure which shows the window containing the list of the data regarding the specific meeting which the user of the 1st client terminal participated in the past. It is a figure which shows the window where four items are displayed with respect to the icon of a file. It is a figure which shows the window where the preview of a file is displayed. It is a figure which shows the meeting window containing the user interface for a presenter displayed during the meeting using a meeting material. It is a figure which shows the meeting window containing the user interface for a participant displayed during the meeting using a meeting material. It is a figure which shows the meeting window containing the user interface for a presenter displayed during the meeting using a whiteboard. It is a figure which shows the meeting window containing the user interface for a participant displayed during the meeting using a whiteboard. It is a figure which shows a mode that the window containing the list of the participants of a meeting was overwritten and displayed on the meeting window containing a user interface and a white board. It is a figure which shows a mode that the window containing the list of the participants of a meeting was overwritten and displayed on the meeting window containing a user interface and a white board. It is a figure which shows the meeting window by which the meeting material is displayed on the left and the user interface is displayed on the right FIG. 6 shows a conference window with a whiteboard displayed on the left and a user interface displayed on the right It is a figure which shows the conference window in which the white board and the moving image of a small level are displayed. It is a figure which shows the conference window in which the white board and the intermediate level moving image are displayed. It is a figure which shows the conference window in which the whiteboard and the high level moving image are displayed. It is a figure which shows the meeting window where the meeting material and the small-level moving image are displayed. It is a figure which shows the conference window in which the whiteboard, the user interface, and the small level moving image are respectively displayed in order from the left.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Configuration of electronic conference system 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of an electronic conference system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the electronic conference system 1 includes a cloud system 2, a client terminal 4, a client terminal 6, and a client terminal 8. The cloud system 2 includes a web server 12, a file conversion server 14, a meeting server 16 (conference control server), a file providing server 18, a video conference server 20, a database 22, and a file system 24. The meeting server 16 includes a meeting controller 16a (conference control unit). The meeting controller 16a controls the conference in the electronic conference system 1 in an integrated manner.

  In the electronic conference system 1, the client terminals 4, 6, and 8 are connected to each other via the cloud system 2 and the communication line 10. The communication line 10 is, for example, an internet line. With such a configuration, the electronic conference system 1 provides a network-type electronic conference to the user.

(Client terminals 4, 6, 8)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the client terminals 4, 6, and 8 constituting the electronic conference system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the client terminal 4 includes a meeting client 4a, an input unit 40, and a display unit 42. On the other hand, the client terminal 6 includes a meeting client 6a, an input unit 60, and a display unit 62. The client terminal 8 includes a meeting client 8a, an input unit 80, and a display unit 82. In the present embodiment, the client terminal 4 is a terminal used by a conference presenter. On the other hand, the client terminal 6 and the client terminal 8 are terminals used by conference participants.

  The meeting client 4 a is in charge of processing on the client terminal 4 side in the conference in the electronic conference system 1. The input unit 40 is an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel. The user uses the input unit 40 when operating the client terminal 4 or inputting predetermined information into the client terminal 4. The display unit 42 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device. The meeting client 4 a displays a conference screen on the display unit 42. In addition, the function of each member with which the client terminal 6 and the client terminal 8 are provided is the same as the function of each member with which the client terminal 4 is provided.

(Outline of electronic conference system 1)
The electronic conference system 1 is a network system for conducting an electronic conference. Each server in the cloud system 2 and each client terminal connected to the cloud system 2 can cooperate with each other to perform an electronic conference. The main function for performing the conference is provided by the cloud system 2. Therefore, the user of the electronic conference system 1 does not need to install special hardware for holding a conference. The user uses the electronic conference system 1 simply by installing special software for accessing the electronic conference system 1 in a terminal device that is generally distributed in the market such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. can do.

  In the electronic conference system 1, participants of the conference participate in the conference using a client terminal that can be connected to the cloud system 2. Therefore, each participant can participate in the conference at a desired place without gathering in a specific conference room.

  In the electronic conference system 1, materials used for the conference are provided as electronic data. Each participant in the conference can share the conference material in real time during the conference. Specifically, during the conference, each participant can view the same location in the same conference material at the same time on the screen of his / her client terminal. In addition, if a specific user (user with presenter authority) during the meeting changes the display state of the conference material, the screen of the client terminal of another user (user who does not have presenter authority) follows it. The display state of the conference material is changed in the same way. That is, the operation performed by the presenter on the client terminal is also reproduced in real time on the participant's client terminal. Accordingly, each attendee of the conference can participate in the conference without preparing paper materials.

  Data necessary for the conference is basically provided from the cloud system 2 to each client terminal. In addition, the writing to the conference material, the writing to the whiteboard, and the keyboard memo input by the user through each client terminal during the meeting are all provided to the cloud system 2 and stored in the cloud system 2. After the conference, all data used by each client terminal during the conference is deleted from the client terminal. In order to view data related to the conference after the conference ends, it is necessary to separately access the electronic conference system 1 and download the data.

  For each user who uses the electronic conference system 1, an authority corresponding to the role of the user in the conference is set for each conference. In the present embodiment, there are three types of roles: a moderator, a presenter, and a participant. The moderator has the authority to create a meeting. The presenter has the authority to present using specific meeting materials during the meeting. Participants do not have any of these powers and are in a position to hear the presenters present during the meeting.

  In a memory (not shown) of the client terminals 4, 6, and 8, a role table that defines functions that can be executed for each role is stored. This role table contains information that identifies the functions that the moderator, presenter, and participant can perform. For example, the moderator can add conference participants, but the presenter and participants include information indicating that conference participants cannot be added. In addition, presenters can present, but presenters and participants include information indicating that they are unable to present.

  The database 22 stores personal information of each user registered in the electronic conference system 1. This personal information includes at least an identifier (user ID) for uniquely identifying the user, an authentication password for logging in to the electronic conference system 1, a user's e-mail address, and a user's name.

(Conference flow)
When a conference is performed in the electronic conference system 1, the following procedure is followed. First, a conference organizer creates a conference in the electronic conference system 1. Any user registered in the electronic conference system can be a conference organizer. The role of the moderator is automatically set for the user who created the meeting. A user (moderator) who creates a conference inputs information regarding the conference, uploads conference materials used for the conference to the cloud system 2, and selects a user to participate in the conference. The moderator sets the role (authority) of each user in the conference.

  After the creation of the conference is completed, when it is time to start the conference, each user logs in to the electronic conference system 1 using his / her client terminal and participates in the conference. Even during the meeting, the user can participate in the meeting. Each user can write to the meeting material during the meeting. Writing to the conference material may be referred to as annotation in the present embodiment.

  Writing to the conference material by the presenter is automatically shared by the client terminals of all participants in the conference. On the other hand, writing on the conference material by the participant is handled as information unique to the participant. That is, it is not shared with other participants. Writing to the conference material by the presenter (shared annotation) is automatically performed in the database 22 in association with information (meeting ID, material ID, page ID) for identifying the corresponding conference, the conference material, and the page of the conference material. Saved in. On the other hand, the writing (individual annotation) on the conference material by the participant is automatically stored in the database 22 in association with the corresponding conference ID and the user ID of the participant.

  During the meeting, each attendee (including presenters and participants) of the meeting can enter a keyboard note on each page of the meeting material. A keyboard memo is text information input using a keyboard. The keyboard memo entered by the presenter is handled as information included in the minutes, and is distributed to each participant in the form included in the minutes after the meeting. On the other hand, the keyboard memo entered by the participant is stored in the database 22 and can be downloaded only by the entered participant.

  The electronic conference system 1 can also hold a conference using a whiteboard instead of the conference material. In this meeting, a whiteboard is displayed on the screen of each client terminal. Each user can write on the whiteboard during the meeting.

  Writing on the whiteboard by the presenter is automatically shared by the client terminals of all participants in the conference. On the other hand, writing on a whiteboard by a participant is treated as information unique to the participant. That is, it is not shared with other participants. The writing (shared annotation) on the whiteboard by the presenter is automatically stored in the database 22 in association with information (meeting ID, page ID) that specifies the corresponding conference and the corresponding whiteboard page. On the other hand, the writing (individual annotation) on the whiteboard by the participant is automatically associated with the information (meeting ID, page ID) for identifying the corresponding conference and the corresponding whiteboard page, and the user ID of the participant. Are stored in the database 22.

  During the meeting, each attendee (including presenters and participants) of the meeting can enter keyboard notes on each page of the whiteboard. A keyboard memo is text information input using a keyboard. The keyboard memo entered by the presenter is handled as information included in the minutes, and is distributed to each participant in the form included in the minutes after the meeting. On the other hand, the keyboard memo entered by the participant is stored in the database 22 and can be downloaded only by the entered participant.

  After the meeting, the cloud system 2 creates a minutes of the meeting. In addition, the conference material, writing to the conference material, writing to the whiteboard, and the keyboard memo of the presenter are managed in association with the minutes. By logging into the electronic conference system 1 after the conference ends, the user of the client terminal can download and browse the minutes of conferences that have participated in the past to his / her client terminal.

(Details of data and information)
After the creation of the conference, conference information, participant information, conference material information, page information, agenda information, and voting item information are stored in the database 22 in association with each other. If the conference material is uploaded when the conference is created, the deep zoom data of the conference material is stored in the file system 24 in association with the corresponding conference ID, the corresponding material ID, and the corresponding page ID. Also stored in the file providing server 18. The electronic conference system 1 uses these data and information during the conference.

  In addition, after the creation of the conference, the JPEG data of level 12 before being divided into tiles is stored in the file system 24 in association with the corresponding conference ID, the material ID to be displayed, and the corresponding page ID. This level 12 JPEG data is used when data for storage related to a conference is created after the conference ends. Note that the JPEG data at level 12 remains stored in the file system 24 even after the conference ends.

  The conference information indicates the conference ID, the conference creator's user ID, the conference title, the conference date, the scheduled start time of the conference, the scheduled end time of the conference, the purpose of the conference, the status of the conference, and whether it is a confidential conference. Contains information and conference access code. The conference ID is an identifier for identifying a conference, and is given for each conference. The web server 12 generates and includes an individual and unique conference ID for each conference information. The information indicating the status of the conference indicates a status of being created, not held, being held, or being ended. Information indicating whether it is a confidential meeting takes a value of either true or false.

  The participant information includes at least a user ID of each user who participates in the conference and role information indicating the role of the participant. The role information indicates at least one of a presenter, a participant, and a presenter. A user may have the roles of presenter and participant in a conference. For example, there is a plurality of agendas for one conference, and a user has a presenter role in one agenda and a participant role in another agenda.

  The meeting material information includes at least a meeting material ID. The conference material ID is information for uniquely identifying the conference material uploaded to the web server 12. The conference material information is created when the conference material is uploaded to the web server 12 when the conference is created.

  The page information includes at least a page ID. The page ID is an identifier for uniquely identifying each page of the conference material uploaded to the web server 12.

  The agenda information includes, for each agenda set for the conference, the agenda name, the presenter's user ID, the presentation time, the conference material ID of the conference material used for the announcement, and the presentation order.

  The voting item information includes at least a question (voting item) set for each announcement. At the end of the presentation, the presenter presents the questions included in the voting item information to each participant and prompts them to vote whether or not they agree with the questions. The voting results by each participant are aggregated and stored in the database 22 in association with the corresponding conference ID as voting result information including the voting results.

(Deep Zoom data)
The deep zoom data is data generated from the original data of the conference material. In the present embodiment, the deep zoom data is generated once from the original data of the conference material through predetermined intermediate data (vector data). The format of vector data is PDF or XPS format. Deep Zoom data is created for each page of the conference material. As the deep zoom data, four data having different resolutions are prepared for each page of the conference material. In the present embodiment, each Deep Zoom data is composed of level 9 to level 12 JPEG data having different resolutions.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of deep zoom data of level 12 in the present embodiment. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of deep zoom data of level 11 in the present embodiment. FIG. 3C shows an example of level 10 deep zoom data in the present embodiment. FIG. 3D is a diagram illustrating an example of deep zoom data of level 9 in the present embodiment.

  In this embodiment, the number of horizontal dots in the level 12 JPEG data is 4096 dots. On the other hand, the number of dots in the vertical direction in the JPEG data is a number corresponding to the ratio of the portrait and landscape in the original data. Specifically, the ratio between the number of vertical dots and the number of horizontal dots in JPEG data is equal to the ratio of the vertical length and the horizontal length in the original data.

  In this embodiment, the resolution of level 11 JPEG data is half that of level 12 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 11 JPEG data is 2048. The resolution of level 10 JPEG data is half that of level 11 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 10 JPEG data is 1028. The resolution of level 9 JPEG data is half that of level 10 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 9 JPEG data is 512.

  Each JPEG data is divided into tiles of a certain size. The size of the tile is one eighth of the size of the level 12 JPEG data. That is, it is equal to the size of level 9 JPEG data. Therefore, the number of horizontal dots in the tile is 512. However, this is only an example, and the tile size can be set arbitrarily. Individual tiles are preferably similar to the original JPEG data.

(How to use Deep Zoom data)
Each client terminal acquires the data of the conference material to be displayed on the display unit from the file providing server 18. At that time, the file providing server 18 provides Deep Zoom data of the conference material to the client terminal. The client terminal only needs to obtain from the file providing server 18 a tile that covers a portion that is actually displayed on the screen of the display unit among the plurality of tiles constituting the Deep Zoom data. For example, it is assumed that the conference material needs to be enlarged when the conference material is displayed using the level 11 deep zoom data shown in FIG. At this time, if the enlargement ratio is within 2 times, only 16 tiles indicated by reference numeral 100 in FIG. This is because if the enlargement ratio is within 2 times, the entire image shown in FIG. 3B is completely covered by 16 tiles indicated by reference numeral 100 in FIG.

  In this way, each client terminal acquires only deep zoom data necessary for display from the file providing server 18. Therefore, since the amount of data to be downloaded can be reduced, the display of the conference material can be switched more quickly.

(Details of meeting participation process)
Below, the detail of the flow of a process in the electronic conference system 1 when the user of each client terminal participates in a meeting is demonstrated. In the following example, a case where the user of the client terminal 4 has already created a meeting as a moderator (conference creator) is taken as an example. In this conference, the user of the client terminal 4 participates as a presenter and a presenter, and the user of the client terminal 6 and the user of the client terminal 8 participate as participants, respectively.

(Conference list display)
When a user of the client terminal 4 tries to participate in a conference held in the electronic conference system 1, first, the user starts the meeting client 4 a that is software for using the electronic conference system 1. After the meeting client 4a is activated, the user performs an operation for logging in to the electronic conference system 1 on the client terminal 4. Specifically, the user ID is input to the input unit 40. The meeting client 4a transmits the input user ID to the web server 12. The web server 12 acquires all conference information stored in the database 22 in association with the received user ID from the database 22 and transmits it to the meeting client 4a.

  In response, the meeting client 4a displays the screen shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen including a list of conferences in which the user of the client terminal 4 can participate. As shown in FIG. 4, the meeting client 4 a displays a screen including a list of conferences in which the user of the client terminal 4 can participate using the received conference information on the display unit 42. In the example of FIG. 4, three conferences are displayed vertically. The meeting client 4a displays the name of the meeting, the date and time of the meeting, and the name of the organizer for each meeting. These pieces of information are included in the conference information acquired from the meeting controller 16a.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects the “People” tab shown in FIG. 4, the meeting client 4a changes the display content of the window as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a window including a list of users registered in the electronic conference system 1. The meeting client 4a acquires a list of users registered in the electronic conference system 1 from the meeting controller 16a and displays the list on the display unit 42 as shown in FIG.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects the “Contents” tab shown in the screen of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, the meeting client 4a changes the display content in the window as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a window including a list of content data regarding conferences in which each user of the client terminal 4 has participated in the past. The meeting client 4a acquires a list of content data related to conferences in which the user of the client terminal 4 has participated in the past from the meeting controller 16a, and displays it on the display unit 42 as shown in FIG. This list includes meeting materials for each meeting, information written to the meeting materials, information written to the whiteboard, and meeting minutes.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects the “management” button included in the screen of FIG. 6, the meeting client 4a displays the window shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a window of the content manager of each user of the client terminal 4. The meeting client 4a displays the window shown in FIG. 7 on the screen of the display unit 42 independently of the window shown in FIG. The window of FIG. 7 includes a folder icon labeled “Original File” and a folder icon labeled “Recent Meeting File”.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects the “original file” icon shown in FIG. 7, the meeting client 4 a switches the display contents of the content manager window as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a view showing a window including an example of a list of data uploaded to the electronic conference system 1 in the past by the user of the client terminal 4. In the example of FIG. 8, the meeting client 4a displays a list of original data information uploaded to the electronic conference system 1 as conference material used for conferences that the user has participated in the past.

  The display of the list of original files in the content manager window can be switched as shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a window including another example of a list of data uploaded to the electronic conference system 1 in the past by the user of the client terminal 4. The user can switch between the display formats shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 by pressing a predetermined button in the window of the content manager.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects the “recent conference file” icon shown in FIG. 7, the meeting client 4 a switches the display contents of the window of the content manager as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a window including a list of conferences in which the user of the client terminal 4 has participated in the past. In the example of FIG. 10, the meeting client 4a displays a list of conferences in which the user has participated in the past. Specifically, the name of the meeting, the date and time of the meeting, and the name of the organizer are displayed.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects one of the conferences in the window of FIG. 10, the meeting client 4a switches the display contents of the content manager window as shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a window including a list of data related to a specific conference in which the user of the client terminal 4 has participated in the past. In the example of FIG. 11, the meeting client 4 a displays a list of data related to the conference whose name is “Conference A”. Specifically, a meeting file, presenter notes, my notes, and minutes are displayed. This figure is only an example. For example, those that were not created after the conference ended are not displayed on the content manager. In the example of FIG. 11, the meeting file is conference material used for the conference. The presenter note is data that the presenter wrote on the whiteboard during the meeting. My notes are agenda notes created by participants individually during the meeting. The minutes are a summary of the conference created by the cloud system 2 after the conference is completed.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 right-clicks an icon of any file displayed in the content manager window, the meeting client 4a displays four items on the display unit 42 on the icon. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a window in which four items are displayed for file icons. In the example of FIG. 12, the user right-clicks the icon of the upper left file in the window. The meeting client 4a displays four items of “preview”, “copy”, “conference creation”, and “download” for the icon. The user selects one of these four items. The meeting client 4a performs processing according to the item selected by the user.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 selects “Preview”, the meeting client 4a switches the display contents of the window of the content manager as shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a window in which a file preview is displayed. In the example of FIG. 13, the meeting client 4a displays the contents of a certain conference material in a window for each page. Thus, the user can browse the contents without downloading the conference material.

(Conference start)
Below, the flow of processing when starting a conference in the electronic conference system 1 will be described in detail. Below, the case where the user of the client terminal 4 participates in a meeting as a presenter is mentioned as an example. Note that both the user of the client terminal 6 and the user of the client terminal 8 participate as participants in this conference.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the user of the client terminal 4 selects one conference to be joined from the conference list displayed on the display unit 42. The meeting client 4a acquires the conference ID of the conference selected by the user from the corresponding conference information. Then, the conference ID of the conference selected by the user and the user ID of the user are transmitted to the web server 12.

(Assignment of meeting controller 16a)
In the meeting server 16, a plurality of meeting controllers 16a are prepared in advance. In the present embodiment, there are 32 meeting controllers 16 a prepared in one meeting server 16. One meeting controller 16a controls one conference. In other words, one meeting controller 16a is used for each conference to be held. In the present embodiment, one meeting controller 16a does not control a plurality of conferences simultaneously. Therefore, when a plurality of conferences are held simultaneously, the same number of meeting controllers 16a as the number of conferences are used.

  When the web server 12 receives the user ID and the conference ID from the meeting client 4a, the web server 12 searches the meeting server 16 for a currently unused meeting controller 16a. The unused meeting controller 16a is a meeting controller 16a that is not assigned to another conference different from the newly started conference. If an unused meeting controller 16a is found, the port number and the IP address of the meeting server 16 are acquired. These are collectively referred to as access information (communication information). The web server 12 transmits the acquired access information to the meeting client 4a. Further, the conference information including the conference ID received from the meeting client 4a is searched from the database 22, and the access information is additionally recorded in the found conference information. As a result, the unused meeting controller 16a is assigned to a newly started conference.

(Access to the meeting controller 16a)
The meeting client 4a receives the access information transmitted from the web server 12. Then, among the plurality of meeting controllers 16a prepared in the meeting server 16, the meeting controller 16a that can communicate using this access information is inquired about the conference information of the conference selected by the user. At that time, the meeting client 4a transmits the conference ID of the conference selected by the user to the meeting controller 16a.

  The meeting controller 16a receives the conference ID transmitted from the meeting client 4a. In response to this, the meeting controller 16a acquires the conference information including the received conference ID from the database 22. Further, participant information, conference material information, page information, agenda information, and vote item information associated with the conference information are also acquired from the database 22. Role information is also acquired from the database 22. The meeting controller 16a stores the acquired information in itself. Furthermore, each acquired information is transmitted to the meeting client 4a.

  The meeting client 4a stores each information received from the meeting controller 16a in its own. Further, the role of the user of the client terminal 4 is specified based on the participant information received from the meeting controller 16a. And the function according to the specified role is specified from role information. Then, a window including a user interface corresponding to the specified function is displayed on the display unit 42. Thereby, the conference is started normally.

  In the case of the conference using the conference material, the meeting client 4 a acquires the first page of the conference material to be used first from the file providing server 18 and displays it on the display unit 42. In the case of a conference that does not use conference materials, the meeting client 4a displays a whiteboard on the display unit 42.

(Participation of other users)
A procedure of processing when the user of the client terminal 6 participates in the conference in which the user of the client terminal 4 participates will be described below.

  When a user of the client terminal 6 tries to participate in a conference held in the electronic conference system 1, first, the user starts the meeting client 6 a that is software for using the electronic conference system 1. After starting the meeting client 6a, the user performs an operation for logging in to the electronic conference system 1 on the client terminal 6. Specifically, the user ID is input to the input unit 60. The meeting client 6a transmits the input user ID to the web server 12. The web server 12 acquires all conference information stored in the database 22 in association with the received user ID from the database 22 and transmits it to the meeting client 6a.

  In response to this, the meeting client 6a displays a screen including a list of conferences in which the user of the client terminal 6 can participate on the display unit 62 using the received conference information. The user of the client terminal 6 selects one conference that he / she wants to join from the conference list displayed on the display unit 62. In the present embodiment, the conference in which the user of the client terminal 6 participates is selected. The meeting client 6a acquires the conference ID of the conference selected by the user from the corresponding conference information. Then, the conference ID of the conference selected by the user and the user ID of the user are transmitted to the web server 12.

  The web server 12 receives the user ID and the conference ID from the meeting client 6a. The meeting controller 16a used for the conference in which the user of the client terminal 6 participates has already been assigned. Therefore, the web server 12 does not newly assign the meeting controller 16a to this conference. Instead, the meeting controller 16a searches the database 22 for conference information including the received conference ID, and obtains access information included in the found conference information. Then, the acquired access information is transmitted to the meeting client 6a.

  The meeting client 6a receives the access information transmitted from the web server 12. Then, among the plurality of meeting controllers 16a prepared in the meeting server 16, the meeting controller 16a that can communicate using this access information is inquired about the conference information of the conference selected by the user. At that time, the meeting client 6a transmits the conference ID of the conference selected by the user to the meeting controller 16a.

  The meeting controller 16a receives the conference ID transmitted from the meeting client 6a. At this time, the meeting controller 16a holds various information such as conference information including the received conference ID in itself. Therefore, such information is not acquired from the database 22 again. Instead, information such as conference information stored therein is transmitted to the meeting client 6a. Each information transmitted at this time is the same as that transmitted to the meeting client 4a.

  The meeting client 6a specifies the role of the user of the client terminal 6 based on the participant information received from the meeting controller 16a. Then, a window including a user interface corresponding to the specified role is displayed on the display unit 62. Since the role of the user of the client terminal 4 is “participant”, the meeting client 6a displays the above-mentioned window corresponding to the “participant” authority. Thereby, the user of the client terminal 6 can normally participate in the conference.

  In the case of a conference using conference materials, the meeting client 6 a acquires the first page of conference materials to be used first from the file providing server 18 and displays it on the display unit 62. In the case of a conference that does not use conference materials, the meeting client 6a displays a whiteboard on the display unit 62.

  Subsequently, the user of the client terminal 8 also participates in the conference. Since the process flow of the electronic conference system 1 at that time is the same as the process flow when the user of the client terminal 6 participates in the conference, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1 according to the present embodiment, one of the plurality of meeting clients 4a is individually assigned to a conference for each newly started conference. Each meeting client 4a is in charge of control related to the corresponding conference. Therefore, a plurality of conferences are not controlled simultaneously. Thereby, in the electronic conference system 1, it is possible to realize load distribution in the meeting server 16.

(Conference using conference materials)
How to proceed with the conference using the conference material in the electronic conference system 1 will be described. Below, the case where the user of the client terminal 4 announces as a presenter is mentioned as an example. Note that both the user of the client terminal 6 and the user of the client terminal 8 participate as participants in this conference.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a conference window including a user interface for a presenter displayed during a conference using conference materials. The user of the client terminal 4 has a presenter role. Therefore, the meeting client 4a displays the conference window shown in FIG. 14 on the display unit 42 during the conference using the conference material. In the conference window of FIG. 14, the color of the “presentation” button in the user interface is the one corresponding to the presenter (orange). In addition, an “up share” button is displayed below the “announce” button.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a conference window including a user interface for participants displayed during a conference using conference materials. The user of the client terminal 6 has a participant role. Therefore, the meeting client 6a displays a conference window shown in FIG. 15 on the display unit 62 during the whiteboard conference. In the conference window of FIG. 15, the color of the “presentation” button in the user interface is in accordance with the presenter (gray). In addition, a “Raise Hand Button” is displayed below the “Announcement” button. When the user of the client terminal 6 has the role of a participant and a moderator, the “presentation” button has a color corresponding to the role (blue). Accordingly, the user of each client terminal can easily know his / her role by confirming the color of the “presentation” button.

  In the case of a conference using conference materials, the same page of the same conference materials is displayed on the screens of the client terminals 4 of all attendees of the conference at the start of the conference. The presenter performs an operation for switching the page of the conference material on the input unit 40 in the client terminal 4. When the input unit 40 accepts this operation, the meeting client 4a requests the file providing server 18 for Deep Zoom data of the page after switching. At the same time, a signal (page switching signal) instructing the page switching of the conference material is transmitted to the meeting controller 16a.

  The file providing server 18 transmits the Deep Zoom data requested from the meeting client 4a to the meeting client 4a. The meeting client 4a displays the received deep zoom data on the display unit 42. Thereby, the page of the meeting material displayed on the screen of the client terminal 4 is switched.

  The meeting controller 16a transmits the received page switching signal to the client terminals of all participants other than the presenters participating in the conference. In this embodiment, the destination is the meeting client 6a and the meeting client 8a.

  Upon receiving the page switching signal, the meeting client 4a requests the file providing server 18 for Deep Zoom data of the page after switching. The file providing server 18 transmits the Deep Zoom data requested from the meeting client 6a to the meeting client 6a. The meeting client 6a displays the received deep zoom data on the display unit 62. Thereby, the page of the meeting material displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6 is switched. At this time, the same page as that displayed on the screen of the client terminal 4 is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6.

  When the meeting client 8a receives the page switching signal, the meeting client 8a requests the file providing server 18 for Deep Zoom data of the page after switching. The file providing server 18 transmits the deep zoom data requested from the meeting client 8a to the meeting client 8a. The meeting client 8a displays the received deep zoom data on the display unit 62. Thereby, the page of the meeting material displayed on the screen of the client terminal 8 is switched. At this time, the same page as that displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6 is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 8.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1, when the presenter switches the conference material page displayed on the screen of the client terminal 4, the conference material page displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6 or 8 of each participant. Can be switched in the same way. That is, the conference material page switching in the presenter's client terminal 4 is reproduced synchronously in the participant's client terminals 6, 8. Therefore, even if a participant does not switch the conference material page by himself / herself, the conference material page is automatically switched following the progress of the presentation by the presenter. This allows each participant to concentrate on the presentation by the presenter.

(Conference using whiteboard)
How to proceed with the conference using the whiteboard in the electronic conference system 1 will be described. Below, the case where the user of the client terminal 4 announces as a presenter is mentioned as an example.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a conference window including a user interface for a presenter displayed during a conference using a whiteboard. The user of the client terminal 4 has a presenter role. Therefore, the meeting client 4a displays a conference window shown in FIG. 16 on the display unit 42 during the whiteboard conference. In the conference window of FIG. 16, the color of the “presentation” button in the user interface is the one corresponding to the presenter (orange). In addition, an “up share” button is displayed below the “announce” button.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a conference window including a user interface for participants displayed during a conference using a whiteboard. The user of the client terminal 6 has a participant role. Therefore, the meeting client 6a displays a conference window shown in FIG. 17 on the display unit 62 during the whiteboard conference. In the conference window of FIG. 17, the color of the “presentation” button in the user interface is a gray color corresponding to the presenter. In addition, a “Raise Hand Button” is displayed below the “Announcement” button. When the user of the client terminal 6 has the role of a participant and a moderator, the “presentation” button has a color corresponding to the role (blue). Accordingly, the user of each client terminal can easily know his / her role by confirming the color of the “presentation” button.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1, the conference window including the user interface corresponding to the role of the user in the conference is displayed on the screen of each client terminal.

  When a conference using a whiteboard is performed, the same page of the whiteboard is displayed on the screens of the client terminals of all participants in the conference at the start of the conference. The presenter performs a writing operation on the whiteboard on the input unit 40 in the client terminal 4. For example, a pen tool is used to write characters on the screen of the client terminal 4 by hand, or a line tool is used to write a straight line on the screen of the client terminal 4. The input unit 40 notifies the meeting client 4a that the presenter has performed a writing operation. The meeting client 4a creates predetermined information representing the contents written by the presenter. In this embodiment, this information is described as annotation. In the present embodiment, the annotation is vector data.

  The meeting client 4a creates an annotation representing the content each time writing by the presenter is performed. Then, the created annotation is transmitted to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a transmits the received annotation to the client terminals of all participants in the conference. In this embodiment, the destination is the meeting client 6a and the meeting client 8a.

  The meeting client 6a processes the annotation received from the meeting controller 16a. As a result, the writing represented by the annotation is displayed on the whiteboard. As a result, the whiteboard display content on the client terminal 6 is the same as the whiteboard display content on the client terminal 4.

  The meeting client 8a processes the annotation received from the meeting controller 16a. As a result, the writing represented by the annotation is displayed on the whiteboard. As a result, the whiteboard display content on the client terminal 8 is the same as the whiteboard display content on the client terminal 4.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1, when a presenter writes something on the whiteboard displayed on the screen of the client terminal 4, the whiteboard displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6 or 8 of each participant is displayed. The writing is automatically reflected. That is, the writing on the whiteboard in the client terminal 4 of the presenter is reproduced synchronously in the client terminals 6 and 8 of the participants. Therefore, even if the participant does not copy the writing by the presenter on the whiteboard himself, the writing on the whiteboard is automatically performed following the progress of the conference by the presenter. This allows each participation to focus on the presentation by the presenter.

(Change of role)
The presenter of the meeting can change the authority of the participant according to the offer from the participant. Specifically, the authority of the presenter can be given to the participant.

  Below, the flow of processing in the electronic conference system 1 when giving the authority of the presenter to the user (participant) of the client terminal 6 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a user interface including a “Raise Hand” button is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6. When the user of the client terminal 6 presses the “Raise Hand” button, the meeting client 6a transmits a signal for raising the hand (raise signal) and the user ID of the user of the client terminal 6 to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a acquires the name of the user represented by the received user ID from the participant information. Then, a window including the acquired name is displayed on the display unit 42. At this time, this window also displays a message indicating that the participant with the displayed name desires to raise his hand.

  The user of the client terminal 4 performs an operation for approving the desire to raise the hand from the user of the client terminal 6. As a result, the meeting client 4a transmits a signal (permission signal) indicating that the raising of the hand is permitted to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a transmits the permission signal received from the meeting client 4a to the meeting client 6a that has transmitted the hand raising signal. Upon receiving the permission signal, the meeting client 6a changes the user interface displayed on the screen of the display unit 62 to that for the presenter.

  At that time, the function permitted to the presenter is specified by referring to the role information stored in the client terminal 6. Then, the user interface is changed according to the function. The role information also exists in the database 22 in the cloud system 2, but the meeting client 6a does not inquire the cloud system 2 when specifying the function of the presenter. Therefore, the client terminal 6 can quickly change the user interface after receiving the permission signal.

  After the meeting client 6a receives the permission signal, the user of the client terminal 6 has the authority as a presenter. Therefore, the user of the client terminal 4 can make a presentation using the conference material. You can also add meeting materials during the meeting.

  While the user of the client terminal 6 has the presenter authority, the user of the client terminal 4 does not have the presenter authority. Therefore, it is impossible to make a presentation during the meeting. The user of the client terminal 4 can revoke the presenter's authority given to the user of the client terminal 6 at any time by pressing a cancel button displayed in the window displaying the person who wants to raise the hand. If the user of the client terminal 4 presses the “presenter” button in the user interface, the authority of the presenter can be returned to himself / herself.

  The users who can give the presenter authority to the participants of the conference are limited to users who have the role of the presenter or the moderator set when the conference is created. Therefore, a user who has the authority of the presenter during the meeting cannot give the presenter authority to other participants.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1, the user of the client terminal 6 changes the role of the user of the client terminal 4 from the participant to the presenter by pressing the “Raise Hand” icon. Therefore, the role of the user can be changed by a simple operation.

(Voting function during the meeting)
In the electronic conference system 1, a conference creator can set a voting function for each agenda when creating a conference. At that time, at least one question is set for one agenda. The question can be answered with either “Yes”, “No”, or “No selection” such as “Do you want to do next week?”. The presenter or the presenter can execute the voting function set at the time of creating the conference after the end of the presentation.

  Taking the case where the user (presenter) of the client terminal 4 executes the voting function as an example, the flow of processing performed by the electronic conference system 1 at the time of voting will be described below. After a certain announcement, the user of the client terminal 4 selects a “voting” button in the user interface. In response, the meeting client 4a transmits a signal (voting start signal) for requesting the start of voting for the question regarding the announcement to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a transmits the received voting start signal to the meeting clients (meeting client 6a and meeting client 8a) of each participant in the conference.

  When the meeting client 6a receives the voting start signal, the meeting client 6a acquires the question that is the subject of voting from the voting item information stored in the memory. Then, the acquired question is displayed on the display unit 62. The user of the client terminal 6 selects “Yes” or “No” in response to the displayed question. The meeting client 6a transmits the result selected by the user to the web server 12.

  When the meeting client 8a receives the voting start signal, the meeting client 8a acquires the question that is the subject of voting from the vote item information stored in the memory. Then, the acquired question is displayed on the display unit 82. The user of the client terminal 8 selects “Yes” or “No” for the displayed question. The meeting client 8a transmits the result selected by the user to the web server 12.

  The web server 12 receives the voting results transmitted from the meeting client 6 a and the meeting client 8 a and totals them in the database 22. When other users are also participating in the conference, the voting results transmitted from the meeting client of the client terminal possessed by the user are also received and similarly counted in the database 22.

  The web server 12 periodically obtains the vote totaling results from the database 22 and provides the obtained summing results to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a transmits the provided aggregation result to the meeting client 4a. The meeting client 4a displays the received counting result on the display unit 42. As a result, the user of the client terminal 4 (that is, the presenter) can periodically check the total result of voting for a certain question.

  When the user of the client terminal 4 presses the “OK” button, the meeting client 4a transmits a signal (voting end signal) for requesting the end of voting to the meeting controller 16a. The meeting controller 16a transmits the received voting end signal to the meeting clients (meeting client 6a and meeting client 8a) of each participant in the conference. When the meeting client 6a and the meeting client 8a receive the voting end signal, the questions displayed on the screen are erased. This ends the vote.

  The voting results collected in the database 22 are utilized at the end of the conference. For example, the minutes of the vote are included in the created minutes. The results of the aggregation can also be used for audits at a later date.

  During the voting, the electronic conference system 1 exclusively controls the screen of the participant's client terminal. Specifically, the participant cannot perform operations other than operations related to voting. This allows participants to concentrate on voting.

  The electronic conference system 1 can immediately set a question for each agenda, change the setting of a question during a conference, and other necessary settings.

  When voting on a question, the user can select a registered name or an anonymous name.

  Questions can also be set for meetings that do not have an agenda.

  The total result of voting can be displayed in real time not only on the client terminal of the presenter but also on the client terminal of each participant.

(Adding meeting materials during the meeting)
In the electronic conference system 1, the presenter can add conference materials during the conference. Hereinafter, a case where the user of the client terminal 4 adds conference materials will be described as an example.

  The user of the client terminal 4 presses the “Content & Whiteboard” button in the user interface during the meeting. Thereby, the meeting client 4a displays a window for selecting the conference material or the whiteboard on the display unit 42. This window includes a “+” button. When the user presses the “+” button, the meeting client 4a displays a material addition window as shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the document addition window is overwritten on the conference window.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the material addition window includes an “upload” button. When the user presses the “upload” button, the conference ID and the user ID are transmitted to the meeting controller 16a.

  Based on the received user ID, the meeting controller 16a acquires a list of data stored in the file system 24 in association with the user ID. This data includes conference material uploaded to the cloud system 2 by the user in the past, and information (annotation) written on the conference material or whiteboard in the conference in which the user has participated in the past. The meeting controller 16a transmits the acquired list to the meeting client 4a.

  The meeting client 4a displays the received list on the display unit 42. At that time, a predetermined folder (my content folder) for displaying the list is displayed on the screen of the display unit 42, and a list of data is displayed in the my content folder. The user can select conference materials to be added to the conference from the list in the My Contents folder. Alternatively, data stored in the client terminal 4 in the client terminal 4 can also be selected as the conference material. The meeting client 4a uploads the conference material selected by the user to the web server 12. At that time, the user ID and conference ID of the user of the client terminal 4 are transmitted to the web server 12.

(Creation of Deep Zoom data)
The web server 12 stores the conference material information and the conference information in the file system 24 in association with the conference material received from the meeting client 4a. The meeting material information includes at least a meeting material ID. The conference material ID is information for uniquely identifying the conference material uploaded to the web server 12. The web server 12 generates a conference material ID having a value that does not match the other conference materials stored in the database 22 or the file system 24 for the conference material uploaded from the meeting client 4a.

  The file conversion server 14 monitors the file system 24 and checks whether new data is stored in the file system 24 at regular intervals. When it is detected that new data (conference material) is stored in the file system 24 from the web server 12, the data is converted into deep zoom data. The electronic conference system 1 uses Deep Zoom data created at this time as conference material.

  The conference material (original conference material) stored in the file system 24 by the web server 12 is data of a format specified by the application, created by some application. Examples of applications include, but are not limited to, word processing software, spreadsheet software, or presentation software. The file conversion server 14 reads the original meeting material from the file system 24 and first converts it into vector format data (vector data). The vector format includes, for example, XPS format or PDF format.

  The file conversion server 14 divides the vector data obtained from the original data for each page. At this time, a page ID for identifying each page is created.

  The file conversion server 14 converts vector data for each page into JPEG data of level 12. In the present embodiment, the number of dots in the horizontal direction of this JPEG data is 4096. On the other hand, the number of dots in the vertical direction in the JPEG data is a number corresponding to the aspect ratio in the original data. Specifically, the ratio between the number of vertical dots and the number of horizontal dots in the JPEG data is equal to the ratio between the vertical length and the horizontal length in the original data. This JPEG data is level 12 data in Deep Zoom data.

  In the majority of cases, the number of horizontal dots in the original data is less than 4096. Therefore, JPEG data at level 12 is usually expanded from the original data.

  The file conversion server 14 creates level 11 JPEG data, which is one level below, from the level 12 JPEG data. The resolution of level 11 JPEG data is half that of level 12 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 11 JPEG data is 2048.

  The file conversion server 14 further creates level 10 JPEG data, which is two levels below, from the level 12 JPEG data. The resolution of level 10 JPEG data is a quarter of the resolution of level 12 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 10 JPEG data is 1024.

  The file conversion server 14 further creates level 9 JPEG data, which is three levels below, from the level 12 JPEG data. The resolution of level 9 JPEG data is one-eighth the resolution of level 12 JPEG data. That is, the number of horizontal dots in the level 9 JPEG data is 512.

(Divided into tiles)
The file conversion server 14 divides each level of JPEG data into tiles of a certain size. Thereby, Deep Zoom data is created from each JPEG data. In the present embodiment, the size of the tile is 1/8 of the size of the JPEG data at level 12. That is, it is equal to the size of level 9 JPEG data. Therefore, the number of horizontal dots of the tile is 512. However, this is only an example, and the tile size can be set arbitrarily. Individual tiles are preferably similar to the original JPEG data.

(Save Deep Zoom data)
The file conversion server 14 creates Deep Zoom data from all meeting materials newly detected from the file system 24. All the created deep zoom data (tiles of JPEG data) are stored in the file system 24 in association with the conference ID. At that time, each Deep Zoom data is associated with a corresponding material ID and page ID.

  The file conversion server 14 provides a copy of Deep Zoom data stored in the file system 24 to the file providing server 18. The file providing server 18 manages each provided Deep Zoom data in association with the corresponding conference ID, the corresponding material ID, and the corresponding page ID.

  The file providing server 18 creates page information including all page IDs created when each vector data is divided into data for each page, and stores the page information in association with the corresponding conference information in the database 22.

  With the above processing, the addition of meeting materials during the meeting is completed. Thereby, the presenter of the meeting can use the added new meeting material during the meeting. The presenter and the presenter can add conference materials during the conference through the meeting client 4a for conducting the conference. Therefore, it is not necessary to execute another program different from the meeting client 4a in order to add the conference material. Thereby, meeting materials can be added quickly.

(Display participant list)
The meeting client 4a can display a list of participants in the conference on the display unit 42 during the conference. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a state in which a window including a list of conference participants is overwritten and displayed on a window including a user interface and a whiteboard. The meeting client 4a displays the participation status of each participant in a window including a list of conference participants. Each user who has already participated in the conference is displayed as “participating”, while each user who has not yet participated in the conference is displayed as “not yet participated”. Thereby, the user of the client terminal 4 can easily know the participation state of each participant in the conference by browsing the window including the list of participants in the conference.

  If the user selects the “+” button at the top left of the window containing the list of participants in the conference, participation can be added during the conference. When the moderator presses the “+” button, the meeting client 4a informs the web server 12 that the “+” button has been pressed. In response to this, the web server 12 reads the personal information stored in the database 22 and transmits it to the meeting client 4a. The meeting client 4a refers to the personal information and displays a window including a list of users of the electronic conference system 1 on the display unit 42. The moderator selects a user who wants to attend the conference from the displayed list of users. A plurality of users can be selected simultaneously.

  When the moderator selects and decides a user to be added, the meeting client 4a transmits a participant addition signal including the user ID added to the web server 12. When the web server 12 receives the participant addition signal, the web server 12 notifies the added user of a message urging participation in the conference by e-mail or the like. Further, the web server 12 updates the participant information in the database 22 by transmitting the information of the additional participant to the database 22. By performing the above-described series of processing, the electronic conference system 1 can add participants during the conference.

(Change of user interface display position)
In the conference window of FIG. 14, the user interface is displayed on the left side of the conference material. Here, when the user presses the position change button displayed at the lower right of the conference window of FIG. 14, the meeting client 4a changes the display position of the user interface from the left side to the right side of the conference material. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a conference window in which the user interface is displayed on the right side of the conference material. In the example of FIG. 20, the user interface is displayed in the area on the right side of the conference window, and the conference material is displayed in the remaining portion of the conference window. A position change button is displayed at the lower left of the conference window in FIG. When the user presses this position change button, the meeting client 4a again changes the display position of the user interface to the left area in the conference window as shown in FIG.

  The ability to change the user interface to the left or right side of the window is particularly advantageous when the client terminal 4 is a large screen display device having a touch panel. When a presenter makes a presentation during a meeting using the client terminal 4 that is a large-screen display device, the presentation is advanced by touching a touch panel provided on the large screen. At that time, the user needs to operate the client terminal 4 while standing on the right or left side of the screen of the client terminal 4 in order to show the screen of the client terminal 4 to other participants.

  When the client terminal 4 is a large-screen display device, if the user is standing on the left side of the screen and the user interface is displayed on the right side of the window, the user's hand may not reach the user interface. . At this time, by pressing a position change button displayed on the left side of the window, the user interface moves from the right side to the left side of the window. This allows the user to operate a user interface that is in close proximity to him.

  Similarly, when the client terminal 4 is a large-screen display device and the user is standing on the right side of the screen and the user interface is displayed on the left side of the window, the user's hand does not reach the user interface. There is a fear. At this time, by pressing a position change button displayed on the right side of the window, the user interface moves from the left side to the right side of the window. This allows the user to operate a user interface that is in close proximity to him.

  With these ideas, the presenter can make a presentation without crossing the screen of the client terminal 4. Therefore, there is an advantage that the participant's view is not obstructed during the conference. .

  The electronic conference system 1 can change the display position of the user interface even during a conference using a whiteboard. In the conference window of FIG. 16, the user interface is displayed on the left side of the whiteboard. Here, when the user presses the position change button displayed at the lower right of the conference window in FIG. 16, the meeting client 4a changes the display position of the user interface from the left side to the right side of the whiteboard. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a conference window in which the user interface is displayed on the right side of the conference material. In the example of FIG. 21, the user interface is displayed in the right area of the conference window, and the whiteboard is displayed in the remaining portion of the conference window. A position change button is displayed at the lower left of the conference window in FIG. When the user presses this position change button, the meeting client 4a again changes the display position of the user interface to the left area in the conference window as shown in FIG.

  The meeting client 4a displays the conference material, the whiteboard, the video conference video, and the user interface on the display unit 42 using the grid object. Therefore, the process of changing the position of the user interface on the window can be easily executed.

(Video conference)
Each of the client terminals constituting the electronic conference system 1 includes a video camera that captures a user of the client terminal. In the electronic conference system 1, the video conference can be used during the conference by sharing the user's video shot by the video camera with each participant of the conference. Hereinafter, a case where the user of the client terminal 4 holds a conference as a presenter will be described as an example of how to proceed with a video conference. Both the user of the client terminal 6 and the user of the client terminal 8 are participating in the conference as participants.

  Within the meeting window is a button labeled “Video Conference”. This is a button for inputting an instruction to start a video conference during the conference. When the user (presenter) of the client terminal 4 selects this button, the meeting client 4 a accesses the video conference server 20. At that time, the meeting client 4 a transmits the moving image of the user shot by the video camera of the client terminal 4 to the video conference server 20. During the video conference, the meeting client 4a continues to transmit the user's video to the video conference server 20.

  Next, the meeting client 4a transmits a signal instructing the start of the video conference to the meeting controller 16a. In response, the meeting controller 16a transmits a signal instructing the start of the video conference to the meeting client 6a and the meeting client 8a, respectively.

  When the meeting client 6a receives a signal instructing the start of the video conference, the meeting client 6a displays a button for allowing the user of the client terminal 6 to select whether or not to participate in the video conference on the screen of the display unit 62. Specifically, a button labeled “Join” and a button labeled “Do not participate” are displayed. When the user of the client terminal 6 presses the “join” button, the meeting client 6 a transmits a signal requesting participation in the video conference to the video conference server 20. At that time, the meeting client 6 a transmits the moving image of the user shot by the video camera of the client terminal 6 to the video conference server 20. During the video conference, the meeting client 6a continues to transmit the user's video to the video conference server 20.

  The video conference server 20 transmits the moving image received from the meeting client 4a to the meeting client 6a. On the other hand, the moving image acquired from the meeting client 6a is transmitted to the meeting client 4a. The meeting client 4a displays the received moving image on the display unit 42. Thereby, the moving image of the user of the client terminal 6 is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 4. On the other hand, the meeting client 6 a displays the received moving image on the display unit 62. Thereby, the moving image of the user of the client terminal 4 is displayed on the screen of the client terminal 6. Therefore, the user of the client terminal 4 and the user of the client terminal 6 can see each other's state through the other party's moving image during the meeting.

  The process that is executed after the meeting client 8a receives a signal instructing the start of a video conference is the same as the process that is executed after the meeting client 6a receives the signal, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The video conference server 20 receives moving images from the meeting client 4a, the meeting client 6a, and the meeting client 8a. Therefore, the video conference server 20 transmits both the moving image received from the meeting client 4a and the moving image received from the meeting client 6a to the meeting client 8a. The meeting client 8a displays both received videos on the display unit 82. As a result, the user of the client terminal 8 can see the state of the user of the client terminal 4 and the user of the client terminal 6 during the conference.

  In addition, the video conference server 20 additionally transmits the moving image received from the meeting client 8a to both the meeting client 4a and the meeting client 6a. The meeting client 4a displays both of the received two moving images on the display unit 82. As a result, the user of the client terminal 4 can see the state of the user of the client terminal 6 and the user of the client terminal 8 during the conference. On the other hand, the meeting client 6 a displays both received two moving images on the display unit 62. As a result, the user of the client terminal 6 can see the state of the user of the client terminal 4 and the user of the client terminal 8 during the conference.

  As described above, in the electronic conference system 1, the video conference video (moving image) can be shared by the client terminals 4 by performing the video conference during the conference.

(Adjust video size)
During the conference, the meeting client 4a simultaneously displays the conference material or whiteboard and the video of each attendee of the conference on the screen of the display unit 42. Attendees at a meeting may want to look closely at the expressions of other attendees during the meeting. For example, such a request often occurs when the electronic conference system 1 is used when performing telemedicine. In order to respond to the request, the meeting client 4a can change the size of each attendee's video in three stages.

  As shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, the meeting client 4a displays buttons labeled "Large", "Medium", or "Small" at the lower right of the screen. The size of the moving image is changed according to the type of button pressed by the user. Therefore, the user can change the size of the moving image to a desired level by a simple operation.

  The meeting client 4a does not change the size of the user interface when changing the size of the moving image. That is, the size of the user interface is always the same regardless of the size of the moving image. On the other hand, the size of the meeting material or the whiteboard is automatically changed according to the size of the moving image.

  When the user presses the “small” button, the meeting client 4a changes the size of any attendee's moving image to a small level as shown in FIG. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a conference window in which a small-level moving image is displayed. The meeting client 4a maximizes the size of the conference material or whiteboard when displaying a small-level moving image.

  If the user presses the “medium” button, the meeting client 4a changes the size of any attendee's moving image to a medium level as shown in FIG. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a conference window in which a whiteboard and a medium-level moving image are displayed. The meeting client 4a reduces the size of the conference material or the whiteboard by one step when the size of the moving image is changed from the small level to the medium level. In FIG. 23, the meeting client 4a changes the size of the conference material or whiteboard and the size of the video of any attendee to the same.

  If the user presses the “Large” button, the meeting client 4a changes the size of any attendee's video to a large level. FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a conference window in which a whiteboard and a large-level moving image are displayed. When the meeting client 4a displays a high-level moving image, the meeting client 4a displays the user interface and the moving image but does not display the conference material and the whiteboard.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the present invention within the scope of the claims. That is, a new embodiment can be obtained by combining appropriately changed technical means within the scope of the claims.

(Name display)
The meeting client 4a can acquire the names of the attendees of the conference from the meeting controller 16a. When the name is acquired, the meeting client 4a displays the participant's name in association with the video of the participant in the conference, as shown in FIGS. For example, in FIGS. 22 to 24, the name is displayed at the lower center of the moving image. Thus, the user of the client terminal 4 can easily know who's moving image is displayed on the screen.

(Change of user interface display position during video display)
The meeting client 4a can display the user interface on the right side of the conference material or the whiteboard even during the display of the moving image. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a conference window in which a whiteboard, a user interface, and a small-level moving image are displayed in order from the left. When the user presses the position change button in the conference window shown in FIG. 22, the meeting client 4a changes the arrangement position of the user interface in the conference window from the right side to the left side of the whiteboard as shown in FIG. At that time, the arrangement position of the user interface is not changed to the right side of the moving image. In other words, the moving image display position is always the rightmost region in the conference window.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the present invention within the scope of the claims. That is, a new embodiment can be obtained by combining appropriately changed technical means within the scope of the claims.

  The present invention can be widely used as various electronic conference systems for conducting an electronic conference.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic conference system 2 Cloud system 4 Client terminal 4a Meeting client 6 Client terminal 6a Meeting client 8 Client terminal 8a Meeting client 10 Communication line 12 Web server 14 File conversion server 18 File providing server 16 Meeting server 16a Meeting controller 20 Video conference server 42 Display unit 40 Input unit

Claims (2)

An electronic conference system comprising a web server, a conference control server, and a plurality of terminals, for conducting an electronic conference,
The web server sets a role of each user in a meeting in which users of the plurality of terminals participate to any one of a plurality of roles having different authority,
The conference control server includes a conference control unit that controls the conference by communicating with the plurality of terminals.
For each of the plurality of roles, each of the terminals holds in advance a role table that defines functions that can be executed by the user who is set to the role, and the user of the terminal is referred to with reference to the role table. An electronic conference system characterized by specifying a function corresponding to the role set in the above and executing the specified function.   Each terminal refers to the role table held by the terminal, specifies a function corresponding to the role set for the user of the terminal, and displays a user interface corresponding to the specified function. The electronic conference system according to claim 1, wherein

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