US20150058753A1

US20150058753A1 - Sharing electronic drawings in collaborative environments

Info

Publication number: US20150058753A1
Application number: US14/091,944
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew Anderson; Frederic Mayot
Original assignee: Citrix Systems Inc
Current assignee: Getgo Inc
Priority date: 2013-08-22
Filing date: 2013-11-27
Publication date: 2015-02-26
Also published as: US9354707B2; WO2015026497A1; WO2015026498A1; US20150058807A1

Abstract

An improved technique involves providing for a gesture-based undo command for use within a collaborative drawing environment. Such an undo function that is both gesture-based and capable of being used within a collaborative environment takes full advantage of the capabilities of tablet computers and laptop computers having touch screens. The gesture-based undo command may involve a multi-point linear swipe such as a two-point linear swipe gesture in order to easily distinguish an undo command from a drawing command.

Description

BACKGROUND

Conventional electronic drawing tools allow users to draw freehand pictures on a display of a computer. One conventional drawing tool includes a brush palette for selecting a brush that simulates a type of brush or pen that applies a brush stroke, a color palette for selecting a color for the brush stroke, and various auxiliary tools such as an erase, undo, and redo button for correcting mistakes. A user may provide a brush stroke on the display by moving an input device, e.g., a mouse or touch inputs, along a desired stroke path.
Some conventional drawing tools provide the ability for a user to apply the auxiliary tools via certain finger motions. Such finger motions are integral to the use of certain tablet and laptop computers and provide for a clean interface that enhances ease of use. For example, one such tool allows a user to perform an undo function by rotating a finger on the display in a counterclockwise motion, and a redo function by rotating a finger on the display in a clockwise motion.
Some conventional drawing tools are used within a collaborative environment for sharing with other users. An example of such a collaborative environment is a web conference in which an electronic drawing is presented to the other users. A web conference typically shares visual data among multiple meeting participants. To create a web conference, the users connect their respective computers to a conference server through a network, e.g., the Internet. The conference server typically processes visual data (e.g., a desktop view from a presenting participant containing a drawing) and provides that visual data for display on respective display screens so that all conference participants are able to view the visual data.

SUMMARY

Unfortunately, there are deficiencies with the above-described conventional electronic drawing tools. For example, the above-described conventional electronic drawing tools that use finger motions for applying undo and redo functions are not configured to be used in a collaborative environment such as an online meeting. On the other hand, conventional electronic drawing tools that are capable of being used in a collaborative environment only have buttons for undo functions and are not configured to use gesture-based undo commands. Both types of conventional electronic drawing tools above do not take full advantage of the capabilities of tablet computing technology in sharing electronic drawings with a group of participants in an online meeting.
It should be understood that, in addition to not being configured to being used in a collaborative environment, the above-described conventional electronic drawing tools that do have undo functions are based on finger motions that use awkward motions such as circular swipes that are not easy to perform. In one example, a particular tool requires a user to make a counterclockwise circular arc on a touch screen, while a corresponding redo function requires the user to make a clockwise circular arc.
In contrast with the above-described conventional electronic drawing tools which use awkward gestures to enable undo commands, an improved technique involves providing for a gesture-based undo command for use within a collaborative drawing environment. Such an undo function that is both gesture-based and capable of being used within a collaborative environment takes full advantage of the capabilities of tablet computers and laptop computers having touch screens. The gesture-based undo command may involve a multi-point linear swipe such as a two-point linear swipe gesture in order to easily distinguish an undo command from a drawing command.
One embodiment of the improved technique is directed to a method of presenting an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network, the electronic drawing including multiple objects. The method includes sharing, by a processor of a particular user device within the collaborative environment, the electronic drawing among multiple user devices within the collaborative environment. The method also includes receiving, by the processor of the particular user device, a gesture-based undo command identifying an object to be removed from the electronic drawing. The method further includes communicating by the processor with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing in response to the gesture-based undo command.
Additionally, some embodiments of the improved technique are directed to an electronic apparatus constructed and arranged to present an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network, the electronic drawing including multiple objects. The apparatus includes memory and a set of processors coupled to the memory to form controlling circuitry. The controlling circuitry is constructed and arranged to carry out the method of presenting an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network.
Furthermore, some embodiments of the improved technique are directed to a computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores code including a set of instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of presenting an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network.
In some arrangements, communicating with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing includes sending a delete command to remove the object from the electronic drawing.
In some arrangements, receiving the gesture-based undo command includes analyzing a set of touch points resulting from a particular gesture input on the particular user device, the touch points including samples of the particular gesture at equally spaced time intervals taken by the processor of the particular user device, and verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command.
In some arrangements, the specified undo waveform is indicative of a multi-point linear swipe on the particular user device, the multi-point linear swipe being swept out in a particular direction along an axis of the particular user device. Verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command includes generating a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe from a time series produced by the set of touch points.
In some arrangements, the method further includes receiving, after receiving the gesture-based undo command, a gesture-based redo command, the gesture-based redo command being configured to replace an object removed by a previous gesture-based undo command and in response to the gesture-based redo command, communicating with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing.
In some arrangements, communicating with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing includes sending a draw stroke command to the multiple user devices that produces the object on each of the multiple user devices.
In some arrangements, receiving the gesture-based redo command includes analyzing a set of touch points resulting from a particular gesture input on the particular user device, the touch points including samples of the particular gesture at equally spaced time intervals taken by the processor of the particular user device and verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command.
In some arrangements, a specified redo gesture includes a multipoint linear swipe on the particular user device, the multi-point linear swipe being swept out in a direction along the axis of the particular user device substantially opposite to the multipoint linear swipe of the specified undo gesture. Verifying whether the set of touch points includes generating a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe of the specified redo gesture from a time series produced by the set of touch points.
In some arrangements, communicating with the multiple user devices includes transmitting the delete command to a central server which in turn transmits the delete command to the multiple user devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying figures in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example electronic environment in which the improved technique may be carried out.

FIG. 2 is an example user device within the electronic environment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating example undo and redo commands from the online meeting server shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example undo and redo gestures that are converted to waveforms received by the online meeting server shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of carrying out the improved technique within the computing device shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An improved technique involves providing for a gesture-based undo command for use within a collaborative drawing environment. Such an undo function that is both gesture-based and capable of being used within a collaborative environment takes full advantage of the capabilities of tablet computers and laptop computers having touch screens. The gesture-based undo command may involve a multi-point linear swipe such as a two-point linear swipe gesture in order to easily distinguish an undo command from a drawing command.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example electronic environment 10 in which the improved technique may be carried out. Electronic environment 10 includes client devices 12(1), 12(2), . . . , 12(M), where M is the number of client devices being used in an online meeting 24, communications medium 18, and online meeting server 22.
Communications medium 18 is constructed and arranged to connect the various components of electronic environment 10 together to enable these components to exchange electronic signals 30. At least a portion of communications medium 18 is illustrated as a cloud in FIG. 1 to indicate that communications medium 18 is capable of having a variety of different topologies including backbone, hub-and-spoke, loop, irregular, combinations thereof, and so on. Along these lines, communications medium 18 may include copper-based communications devices and cabling, fiber optic devices and cabling, wireless devices, combinations thereof, etc. Furthermore, communications medium 18 is capable of supporting LAN-based communications, cellular communications, standard telephone communications, combinations thereof, etc.
Client devices 12 are typically tablet computers having a respective touch-screen display 16, although client devices 12 can be any electronic computing device with a touch-screen display, e.g., laptop computer, smartphone, and the like. Each client device 12 is constructed and arranged to operate an online meeting client on behalf of a respective user 14, in which there is an electronic drawing environment capable of allowing respective user 14 to create and remove drawing objects using gesture-based commands. For example, user 14(1) may create a circle on display 16(1) within the electronic drawing environment by swiping a finger on the display in a circle. Furthermore, client devices 12 are capable of communicating gesture-based actions, among others, to online meeting server 22 via communications medium 18.
Online meeting server 22 is constructed and arranged to host online meetings 24 among users 14. Online meeting server 22 is also constructed and arranged to communicate a command to the client devices 12 to perform an undo command in response to receiving the gesture-based undo command.
It should be understood that, in some arrangements, online meeting server 22 may be replaced by a communication server that may not supply audio as is typical in an online meeting. Along these lines, the improved technique described herein does not require sound or other multimedia aside from a visual medium for the drawing.
During operation, client devices 12(1), 12(2), . . . , 12(M) initiate online meeting 24 via online meeting server 22 through communications medium 18. Online meeting server 22 provides, via an internet browser running on each client device 12, an online meeting interface displayed on a respective display 16(1), 16(2), . . . , 16(M) (displays 16) of client device 12(1), 12(2), . . . , 12(M). The online meeting interface runs, among other applications, an electronic drawing program that displays an electronic drawing 20 on each of displays 16.
During online meeting 24, a user, e.g., user 14(1), draws an object 32 within the electronic drawing. The electronic drawing program within the online meeting interface provided by online meeting server 22 is configured to display object 32 on all displays 16 simultaneously as part of online meeting 24. For example, as will be described below, user 14(1) draws object 32 using a finger gesture on display 16(1). Subsequently, the electronic drawing program causes client device 12(1) to send an electronic signal 30 to online meeting server 22 that represents object 32. Online meeting server 22 then sends the received signal 30 to other client devices 12(2), . . . , 12(M), each of which in turn maps the signal to object 32 and displays object 32 in their respective displays 16.
After devices 12 display object 32 on respective displays 16, but before another object is created within electronic drawing 20, a user, e.g., user 14(M), initiates, via gesture 26, a gesture-based undo command 28 that is configured to cause object 32 to be removed from electronic drawing 20. For example, as will be described in detail below in connection with FIG. 5, user 14(M) applies a linear, two-point gesture 26 toward the left part of display 16(M). Such a multipoint gesture distinguishes the undo function from a standard drawing command initiated by a single-point gesture that creates objects in electronic drawing 20.
In response to the initiation of gesture-based undo command 28, the electronic drawing program causes client device 12(M) to erase object 32 from display 16(M). Further, client device 12(M) sends an electronic signal 30 to online meeting server that contains a delete command 34.
Upon receiving delete command 34, online meeting server 22 sends a delete communication to each of client devices 12 via communications medium 18.
Delete communication 34 provides a delete command to the electronic drawing program running on each of client devices 12(1), 12(2), . . . , 12(M) that is configured to remove object 32 from electronic drawing 20.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram that illustrates further details of online meeting server 22. Online meeting server 22 includes controller 40, which in turn includes processor 44 and memory 46, and network interface 42.
Network interface 42 is constructed and arranged to provide connections for online meeting server 22 to communications medium 18. Network interface 42 takes the form of an Ethernet card; in some arrangements, network interface 42 takes other forms including a wireless receiver and a token ring card.
Processor 44 takes the form of, but is not limited to, Intel or AMD-based CPUs, and can include a single or multi-cores each running single or multiple threads. Processor 44 is coupled to memory 46 and is configured to execute instructions from code 58.
Memory 46 is configured to store code 58 that contains instructions to conduct an online meeting. Memory 46 also includes an undo stack 50 and a redo stack 52.
Undo stack 50 and redo stack 52 are configured to track objects which have been removed from and placed back in electronic drawing 20. Further details about undo stack 50 and redo stack 52 will be discussed in connection with FIG. 4.
In many arrangements, the electronic drawing program will also make a redo function available that puts back the most recent object removed from electronic drawing 20 by the undo function. Further details of how the undo and redo functions operate within online meeting 24 are described below in connection with FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example undo stack 50 (see FIG. 2) and redo stack 52 in memory 46 while undo and redo functions are being performed either by each client device 12 or, as in some arrangements, online meeting server 22.
As objects are added to electronic drawing 20, client device 12(M) provides each object with an object identifier, e.g., object identifier 80 or object identifier 82. In the case illustrated in FIG. 4, object identifiers 80 and 82 are simply integers associated with an object. For example, online meeting server 22 may assign an object identifier to an object upon completion of an object creation gesture, e.g., when a user 14 lifts his or her finger from display 16. Upon the creation of an object with object identifier 80 in electronic drawing 20, client device 12(M) stores object identifier 80 in undo stack 50 in a last-in, first-out manner.
Assume that object identifier 80 corresponds to the most recently created object in electronic drawing 20. During an example operation, client 12(M) receives a gesture-based undo command 28(a) as described in detail above. In response to receiving undo command 28(a), client 12(M) moves object identifier 80 from undo stack 50 to redo stack 52 in a last-in, first-out manner. In response to receiving a second gesture-based undo command 28(b) before any other commands are received, client 12(M) moves the next object identifier 82 in undo stack 50 (i.e., corresponding to the next-most recent object) to redo stack 52 in the last-in, first-out manner.
It should be understood that, as each undo command 28(a) or 28(b) is processed by client 12(M), the objects corresponding to the object identifiers moved to redo stack 52 are removed from electronic drawing 20 and are no longer visible on displays 16.
Assume further that, sometime after receiving gesture-based undo command 28(b), client 12(M) receives a gesture-based redo command 28(c). Upon receipt of redo command 28(c), client 12(M) moves the most recent object identifier in redo stack 52—in this case, object identifier 82—back to undo stack in the last-in, first-out manner. As redo command 28(c) is processed by client 12(M), the object corresponding to object identifier 82 will reappear in electronic drawing 20 and will be visible on displays 16 after the object and its identifier is sent to server 22.
In some arrangements, when a client device 12(M) creates a shape, client device 12(M) places the shape in local undo stack 50, sends the shape and a shape identifier for that shape to server 22, and records the time of creation of the shape. Server 22 then stores the shape identifier in a list and broadcasts the shape to all connected clients 12. When client device 12(M) detects an undo, it moves the shape from undo stack 50 to redo stack 52 and sends a delete command to server 22. Server 22 deletes the shape in the list and forwards the delete command to all connected clients. When client 12(M) detects a redo gesture, client 12(M) moves the shape from redo stack 52 to undo stack 50, and sends the shape to server 22 along with the corresponding shape identifier and the recorded time of creation of the shape to the server. Server 22 then places the shape identifier in the list and forwards the shape, its corresponding identifier and time of creation to clients 12. When receiving a shape, each client 12 places the shape in a list ordered by time of creation. That allows each client 12 to properly render the shape coming from a redo command.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating criteria for determining whether a gesture corresponds to an undo or redo command. Consider an intended undo gesture 90 performed on display 16(M) by user 14(M). It is assumed that, as described above, the standard undo gesture corresponding to a waveform stored in waveform library 54 is a two-point linear swipe to the left, parallel to axis 92 of display 16(M).
It should be understood that, many times, user 14(M) will not be able to perfectly reproduce such a gesture when performing intended undo gesture 90. Rather, for example, intended undo gesture 90 may involve a two-point swipe to the left at an angle with respect to axis 92. The subsequent waveform generated from gesture 90 is, in some arrangements, configured to behave continuously with respect to swipe angle so that online meeting server 22 can determine whether the swipe angle is too large to be an intended undo function. To this effect, there is a threshold angle 96 beyond which online meeting server 22 will fail to recognize the waveform generated from gesture 90 as corresponding to an undo function.
In some arrangements, online meeting server 22 also imposes a minimum swipe length requirement on gesture 90 in order to be recognized as an undo function. To this effect, the subsequent waveform generated from gesture 90 is also configured to behave continuously with respect to swipe length 98. In this way, online meeting server 22 may determine whether swipe length is at least as long as a threshold swipe length 100; if so, online meeting server 22 may recognize gesture 90 as corresponding to the undo function.
Intended redo gestures 110 are treated similarly; an example standard redo gesture is a two-point linear swipe 112 parallel to axis 92 to the right.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 150 of conducting an online meeting, including steps 152, 154, and 156. In step 152, an electronic drawing, e.g., electronic drawing 20, which is shared among multiple user devices, e.g., user devices 12, is provided as part of an online meeting, e.g., online meeting 24 by a processor of an online meeting server, e.g., 22, the electronic drawing including multiple objects, e.g., object 32. In step 154, a gesture-based undo command, e.g., gesture-based undo command 28(a), identifying an object to be removed from the electronic drawing is received from a particular user device, e.g., user device 12(M). In step 156, in response to the gesture-based undo command, the processor communicates with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing.
As used throughout this document, the words “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to set forth certain items, steps, elements, or aspects of something in in that these are provided by way of example only and the invention is not limited to these particular embodiments. In addition, the word “set” as used herein indicates one or more of something, unless a statement is made to the contrary.
It should be understood that the improvement described here has a number of applications, including providing a technique for conducting an online meeting.
Having described certain embodiments, numerous alternative embodiments or variations can be made. For example, the above discussion dealt mainly with online meeting server 22 issuing undo commands in response to receiving gesture data. In some arrangements, however, online meeting server 22 performs the undo command to remove objects from electronic drawing 20.
Also, the improvements or portions thereof may be embodied as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, such as a magnetic disk, magnetic tape, compact disk, DVD, optical disk, flash memory, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and the like. Multiple computer-readable media may be used. The medium (or media) may be encoded with instructions which, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, perform methods that implement the various processes described herein. Such medium (or media) may be considered an article of manufacture or a machine, and may be transportable from one machine to another.
Further, although features are shown and described with reference to particular embodiments hereof, such features may be included in any of the disclosed embodiments and their variants. Thus, it is understood that features disclosed in connection with any embodiment can be included as variants of any other embodiment, whether such inclusion is made explicit herein or not.
Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of presenting an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network, the electronic drawing including multiple objects, the method comprising:

sharing, by a processor of a particular user device within the collaborative environment, the electronic drawing among multiple user devices within the collaborative environment;

receiving, by the processor of the particular user device, a gesture-based undo command identifying an object to be removed from the electronic drawing; and

in response to the gesture-based undo command, communicating by the processor with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing.

2. A method as in claim 1,

wherein communicating with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing includes:

sending a delete command to remove the object from the electronic drawing.

3. A method as in claim 2,

wherein receiving the gesture-based undo command includes:

analyzing a set of touch points resulting from a particular gesture input on the particular user device, the touch points including samples of the particular gesture at equally spaced time intervals taken by the processor of the particular user device, and

verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command.

4. A method as in claim 3,

wherein the specified undo gesture includes a multipoint linear swipe on the particular user device, the multi-point linear swipe being swept out in a particular direction along an axis of the particular user device; and

wherein verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command includes:

generating a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe from a time series produced by the set of touch points.

5. A method as in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, after receiving the gesture-based undo command, a gesture-based redo command, the gesture-based redo command being configured to replace an object removed by a previous gesture-based undo command; and

in response to the gesture-based redo command, communicating with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing.

6. A method as in claim 5,

wherein communicating with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing includes:

sending a draw stroke command to the multiple user devices that produces the object on each of the multiple user devices.

7. A method as in claim 5,

wherein receiving the gesture-based redo command includes:

verifying whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified redo gesture that generates the gesture-based redo command.

8. A method as in claim 5,

wherein a specified redo gesture includes a multipoint linear swipe on the particular user device, the multi-point linear swipe being swept out in a direction along the axis of the particular user device substantially opposite to the multipoint linear swipe of the specified undo gesture; and

wherein verifying whether the set of touch points includes:

generating a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe of the specified redo gesture from a time series produced by the set of touch points.

9. A method as in claim 2,

wherein communicating with the multiple user devices includes:

transmitting the delete command to a central server which in turn transmits the delete command to the multiple user devices.

10. An electronic apparatus constructed and arranged to present an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network, the electronic drawing including multiple objects, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface;

memory; and

a controller including controlling circuitry, the controlling circuitry being constructed and arranged to:

share, by a processor of a particular user device within the collaborative environment, the electronic drawing among multiple user devices within the collaborative environment;

receive, by the processor of the particular user device, a gesture-based undo command identifying an object to be removed from the electronic drawing; and

in response to the gesture-based undo command, communicate by the processor with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing.

11. An apparatus as in claim 10,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to communicate with the multiple user devices to remove the object from the electronic drawing is further constructed and arranged to:

send a delete command to remove the object from the electronic drawing.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to receive the gesture-based undo command is further constructed and arranged to:

analyze a set of touch points resulting from a particular gesture input on the particular user device, the touch points including samples of the particular gesture at equally spaced time intervals taken by the processor of the particular user device, and

verify whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command.

13. An apparatus as in claim 4,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to verify whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified undo gesture that generates the gesture-based undo command is further constructed and arranged to:

generate a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe from a time series produced by the set of touch points.

14. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the controlling circuitry is further constructed and arranged to:

receive after receiving the gesture-based undo command, a gesture-based redo command, the gesture-based redo command being configured to replace an object removed by a previous gesture-based undo command; and

in response to the gesture-based redo command, communicate with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to communicate with the multiple user devices to restore the object to the electronic drawing is further constructed and arranged to:

send a draw stroke command to the multiple user devices that produces the object on each of the multiple user devices.

16. An apparatus as in claim 14,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to receive the gesture-based redo command is further constructed and arranged to:

verify whether the set of touch points are indicative of a specified redo gesture that generates the gesture-based redo command.

17. An apparatus as in claim 14,

wherein the controlling circuitry constructed and arranged to verify whether the set of touch points is further constructed and arranged to:

generate a speed and direction of the multipoint linear swipe of the specified redo gesture from a time series produced by the set of touch points.

18. An apparatus as in claim 11,

transmit the delete command to a central server which in turn transmits the delete command to the multiple user devices.

19. A computer program product having a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium which stores instructions that, when executed by a controller, causes the controller to carry out a method of presenting an electronic drawing in a collaborative environment over an electronic network, the electronic drawing including multiple objects, the method comprising:

20. A computer program product as in claim 19,

sending a delete command to remove the object from the electronic drawing.