Screen display control device, method and program for online conference

Abstract

To switch a shared screen through fewer operations smoothly, thereby improving the efficiency of a conference or a lecture.SOLUTION: A screen display control apparatus or method includes: generating a list of icons arranged for each of multiple participant terminals or each of multiple shared files that are transmitted by the participant terminals; displaying the list on the participant terminals; selecting, when an icon in the list is selected, a shared file corresponding to the selected icon; generating shared screen display data for displaying the selected shared file on a display screen together with the list; and displaying the data on the participant terminals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a screen display control device, method, and program for use in, for example, an online conference system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, companies, schools, etc. have increasingly introduced online conference systems that allow participants to participate from any location, such as a workspace or classroom, in order to diversify work styles and classes and to prevent infection. An online conference system enables conference communication between multiple terminals by, for example, connecting the terminals of multiple participants to a server device on the cloud or the Web via a network, and the server device appropriately selecting or editing the audio and video of each participant and transmitting them to each terminal.

[0003] Incidentally, some online conference systems are equipped with a screen sharing function, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. The screen sharing function is a function that allows a participant to share one file among multiple participants by, for example, transferring a file saved in his / her own terminal to the terminal of another participant via a server device and displaying it on the screen. By using this function, for example, the conference leader or lecturer can proceed with the conference or lecture while sharing reception materials or lecture materials created by the lecturer with all the participants or students, which is very convenient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-086067 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in general, online conference systems display a single file provided by one of the participants, for example the host, as a shared screen on the terminals of the other participants. Therefore, when switching the file displayed on the shared screen to another file, the file provider must cancel the sharing setting of the currently displayed file, then select another file and set it as the shared screen again, which requires time and effort to switch the display of the shared file, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of the conference or lecture. In addition, when switching the display from a shared file provided by the host to a shared file provided by another participant, the host and participants must each perform the same operation in cooperation with each other, which requires additional time and effort to switch the display.

[0006] This invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that improves the efficiency of meetings, lectures, etc. by enabling smooth switching of the display of shared files provided by multiple conference participants with fewer operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a screen display control device or method according to one aspect of the present invention generates a list including icons corresponding to each of a plurality of shared files provided from a plurality of participant terminals, and when an icon is selected from the list, acquires the shared file corresponding to the selected icon. Then, it generates display data for displaying the generated list and the acquired shared files on a display screen of the participant terminal. Before Output to the participant's device Furthermore, when a plurality of the icons are selected in the list, a plurality of the shared files corresponding to the selected plurality of the icons are selected, and shared screen display data is generated for collectively displaying the list and the selected plurality of the shared files on the display screen of the participant terminal. This is what was done. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, for example, a list including icons corresponding to each of a plurality of shared files provided from a plurality of participant terminals is generated, and the generated list is displayed on the display screen of each participant terminal. When an icon is selected from the displayed list, the corresponding shared file is acquired and displayed on the display screen. Therefore, the participant can check the list of shared files from the list displayed on the display screen, and can switch the display of the shared files by simply selecting a desired icon from the list in this state.

[0009] In other words, according to one aspect of the present invention, for example, when multiple participants each provide a shared file, each participant can smoothly switch the display of the shared file with minimal operations, thereby making it possible to improve the efficiency of meetings, lectures, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an online conference system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a conference server having a function as a screen display control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention in the system shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a software configuration of the conference server shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall process steps and process contents of online conference control by the conference server shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure and contents of the screen sharing process among the procedures of the online conference control shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of display data generated by the screen sharing process shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of the display data generated by the screen sharing process shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third example of the display data generated by the screen sharing process shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] (Configuration example) (1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an online conference system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] The online conference system includes a conference server SV having a function as a screen display control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of terminals used by conference participants can be connected to the conference server SV via a network NW. The plurality of terminals include a host terminal UT0 used by the person in charge of the conference, and a plurality of participant terminals UT1 to UTn used by participants in the conference.

[0014] The host terminal UT0 and the participant terminals UT1 to UTn have the same basic functions, and the roles of center and participant may be changed during the conference. Therefore, hereinafter, the host terminal UT0 and each of the participant terminals UT1 to UTn will be collectively referred to as participant terminals UT.

[0015] As the multiple participant terminals UT, for example, information terminals such as desktop personal computers, notebook personal computers, or tablet personal computers are used, but other types of terminals such as mobile terminals such as smartphones may also be used.

[0016] The above-mentioned multiple participant terminals UT are each provided with, as a hardware configuration, a control unit having a processor, a storage unit for storing various programs and data, a communication interface unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network NW, a data input / output unit having an input device and a display device, and a voice input / output unit having a microphone and a speaker. In addition, the software used for the online conference includes a browser and an application program for the online conference that runs on the browser.

[0017] The application program for the online conference cooperates with the online conference control program of the conference server SV to execute a predetermined control process related to the online conference in the terminal. Specifically, when a communication link for the online conference is established with the conference server SV, various data such as voice, image, and document of the conference participants are transmitted and received. The application program for the online conference may use, for example, a mechanism of the WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) function.

[0018] The network NW is based on, for example, the Internet, and includes an access network for connecting the conference server SV and the multiple participant terminals UT to the Internet. As the access network, for example, a public communication network using a wired or wireless connection, or a LAN (Local Area Network) using a wired or wireless connection may be used, but a CATV (Cable Television) network or the like may also be used.

[0019] (2) Conference Server SV 2 and 3 are block diagrams showing the hardware and software configurations of the conference server SV, respectively.

[0020] The conference server SV is, for example, a server computer installed on the cloud or the Web, and includes a control unit 10 using a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). A storage unit having a program storage unit 20 and a data storage unit 30, and a communication I / F 40 are connected to the control unit 10 via a bus 50.

[0021] Under the control of the control unit 10, the communication I / F 40 transmits and receives information data to and from each of the multiple participant terminals UT using a communication protocol defined by the network NW, for example TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

[0022] The program storage unit 20 is configured, for example, by combining a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) as a storage medium that can be written to and read from at any time, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores, in addition to middleware such as an OS (Operating System), an online conference control program necessary for executing various control processes related to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The data storage unit 30 is, for example, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD, which can be written to and read from at any time, as a storage medium, and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is equipped with a participant identification information storage unit 31, a list storage unit 32, and a shared file storage unit 33 as the main data storage areas required for implementing the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The participant identification information storage unit 31 is used to store identification information (hereinafter also referred to as participant ID) of multiple participants who participated in an online conference. As the participant identification information, for example, the participant's name, an identification number such as an employee number or a student ID number, etc. may be used, but other information may also be used, such as a thumbnail image of the participant's face or an illustrated image, account information of the participant terminal UT used, etc.

[0025] The list storage unit 32 is used to store a list generated for each conference by the control unit 10, which will be described later, in association with identification information of the conference (hereinafter also referred to as a conference ID).

[0026] The shared file storage unit 33 is used to store shared files, such as conference materials and teaching materials, transmitted from the participant terminals UT in association with the participant ID of the provider. The shared files are composed of, for example, document data or image data created or acquired by the participants on the participant terminals UT, video data acquired from websites, etc.

[0027] The control unit 10 includes, as processing functions necessary for carrying out the first embodiment of the present invention, a conference link connection processing unit 11, a list generation processing unit 12, a shared file acquisition processing unit 13, a display data generation processing unit 14, and a display data transmission processing unit 15. All of these processing units 11 to 15 are realized by causing a hardware processor of the control unit 10 to execute a program stored in the program storage unit 20.

[0028] The conference link connection processing unit 11 performs a process of connecting the requesting participant terminal UT and the conference server SV by a communication link for online conference every time the conference link connection processing unit 11 receives a request to participate in a conference from a participant terminal UT. The conference link connection processing unit 11 also performs a process of acquiring a participant ID from the participant terminal UT that has made the participation request and storing the participant ID in the participant identification information storage unit 31.

[0029] The list generation processor 12 generates a list when a shared file is sent from a participant terminal UT, regardless of whether it is the host terminal UT0 or the participant terminals UT1 to UTn. The list generation processor 12 then stores the generated list in the list storage unit 32 in association with the conference ID. As the list, for example, a list in which icons corresponding to the shared files are arranged in a horizontal line is used. As the icons, for example, reduced images of the shared files or thumbnail images instead thereof, or images representing the file names are used, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0030] In addition, the list generation processing unit 12 performs processing to update the list stored in the list storage unit 32 every time a request for adding a shared file or a request for canceling sharing is sent from a participant terminal UT during the conference period.

[0031] The shared file acquisition processing unit 13 acquires the shared file from the requesting participant terminal UT in response to the file sharing request, and stores the acquired shared file in the shared file memory unit 33 in association with the requesting participant ID.

[0032] The display data generation processing unit 14 performs processing to edit the list stored in the list storage unit 32 and the shared file corresponding to the icon specified from the list so as to display them on a single shared screen, and to generate shared screen display data.

[0033] Furthermore, when a request for setting display attributes for the list or shared file displayed on the shared screen is sent from the participant terminal UT, the display data generation processing unit 14 performs processing to change the display attributes of the list or shared file in the shared screen display data from, for example, a default state in response to the display attribute setting request. Examples of the display attributes to be set include the display position, display size, display color, display density, etc. on the shared screen.

[0034] The display data transmission processing unit 15 performs processing for transmitting the shared screen display data generated by the display data generation processing unit 14 from the communication I / F 40 to each participant terminal UT via a communication link for the online conference.

[0035] (Example of operation) Next, an example of the operation of the conference server SV configured as above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall process steps and process contents of the online conference control executed by the control unit 10 of the conference server SV.

[0036] (1) Starting an online meeting Prior to an online conference, for example, the central person sets the conference schedule in the conference server SV from the host terminal UT0. The conference schedule includes, for example, the scheduled start date and time and scheduled end date and time of the conference, and the host's identification information.

[0037] In conjunction with setting the conference schedule, the conference server SV notifies the host terminal UT0 of, for example, a conference ID and password, or a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the conference. The central party transmits the notified conference ID and password, or the URL for the conference, from the host terminal UT0 to each of the multiple participant terminals UT1 to UTn used by the people who plan to participate in the conference, by using, for example, email or a social network system (SNS).

[0038] In this state, it is assumed that the central person and each of the prospective participants access the above URL from their respective terminals UT0, UT1 to UTn according to the conference schedule. Then, when the control unit 10 of the conference server SV receives the access in step S10, it recognizes the access as a conference participation request, and under the control of the conference link connection processing unit 11, in step S11, connects with each of the requesting participant terminals UT via a communication link for online conference. The conference link connection processing unit 11 also acquires the participant ID of each participant from the terminals UT0, UT1 to UTn, and stores the acquired participant ID in the participant identification information storage unit 31.

[0039] In step S12, the conference server SV edits and synthesizes the voices and images of the participants transmitted from each participant terminal UT, and transfers them to each participant terminal UT. Thus, an online conference using voices and images is possible between the participants.

[0040] (2) Screen sharing of files During the online conference, for example, assume that the central person transmits a request for file sharing settings of the conference materials and browsing information in order to share the conference materials and browsing information with each conference participant. In response to this, when the control unit 10 of the conference server SV detects the request for file sharing settings in step S13, it subsequently executes a screen sharing control process in step S14 as follows.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure and contents of the screen sharing control process executed by the control unit 10 of the conference server SV.

[0042] (2-1) Acquiring shared files That is, when a shared file is sent from the host terminal UT0 of the central party, for example, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV first receives the shared file via the communication I / F 40 in step S141 under the control of the shared file acquisition processing unit 13. Then, the control unit 10 stores the received shared file in the shared file storage unit 33 in association with the participant ID of the provider.

[0043] Similarly, when a plurality of shared files are sent from one terminal UT, the conference server SV is able to receive each of these multiple shared files and store them in the shared file storage unit 33 .

[0044] The conference server SV can also handle requests for file sharing settings sent not only from the central party but also from other participants in the same manner. For example, when a request for file sharing settings is sent from the participant terminal UT1, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV receives the shared file via the communication I / F 40 in step S141 under the control of the shared file acquisition processing unit 13. Then, the received shared file is stored in the shared file storage unit 33 in association with the participant ID of the provider.

[0045] (2-2) Creating a list When the shared files are acquired, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV then generates a list in step S142 under the control of the list generation processing unit 12. For example, assume that one shared file is sent each from the host terminal UT0 and the participant terminals UT1 and UT2. In this case, the list generation processing unit 12 generates icons corresponding to the three shared files acquired from the host terminal UT0 and the participant terminals UT1 and UT2, and generates a list in which the generated three icons are arranged in a horizontal row.

[0046] At this time, each icon is set to a different display form depending on whether it is an icon that has been set to "shared" by the file sharing setting operation described below, or an icon that is "standby for sharing." For example, the "shared" icon is set to information that identifies the shared file, such as a reduced image of the shared file or a thumbnail image replacing it, or the file name. In contrast, the "standby for sharing" icon is set to information that identifies the participant who provided the file, such as a reduced face image or illustrated image of the participant, or information that indicates the participant's name, nickname, initials, etc.

[0047] The list generation processing unit 12 stores the generated list in the list storage unit 32 in association with the conference ID.

[0048] In addition, if a shared file is added from the host terminal UT0 and participant terminals UT1 and UT2, or another participant terminal UT3 after the list generation processing unit 12 generates and saves the list, the list generation processing unit 12 adds an icon corresponding to the added shared file to the list stored in the list memory unit 32.

[0049] Conversely, when an operation is performed on the participant terminal that provided the shared file to cancel the sharing setting of the shared file, the list generation processing unit 12 deletes the corresponding icon from the list stored in the list storage unit 32.

[0050] (2-3) Displaying the list Next, in step S143, the control unit 10 of the conference server generates display data (shared screen display data) to be displayed as a shared screen under the control of the display data generation processing unit 14. That is, at this stage, the display data generation processing unit 14 reads the list from the list storage unit 32, and generates shared screen display data including only the read list. For example, the display data is generated in which the list is arranged in a list display area set in advance on the shared screen.

[0051] Next, in step S144, the control unit 10 of the conference server transmits the generated shared screen display data to all participant terminals UT from the communication I / F 40 via the communication link for the online conference under the control of the display data transmission processing unit 15. As a result, on the display device of each participant terminal UT, the shared screen is displayed superimposed on an online conference screen displaying, for example, a list of face images or participant IDs of each participant. Therefore, each participant can check the list of shared files by looking at the shared screen.

[0052] (2-4) Viewing shared files In this state, for example, assume that the central person or participant who provides the shared file selects an icon corresponding to the file to be shared from the list on his / her own participant terminal UT, for example by clicking or tapping. Then, the selection information of the icon is transmitted as sharing designation information from the participant terminal UT to the conference server SV via the communication link for the online conference.

[0053] In response to this, when the control unit 10 of the conference server SV receives the above-mentioned sharing designation information in step S146, first, under the control of the list generation processing unit 12, it changes the display form of the corresponding icon in the list stored in the list memory unit 32 from the default “waiting for sharing” to a form indicating “sharing setting in progress.”

[0054] Next, in step S143, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV, under the control of the display data generation processing unit 14, selectively reads out from the shared file storage unit 33 a shared file corresponding to the icon designated by the above-mentioned sharing designation information. Then, display data is generated for displaying the above-mentioned read-out shared file and the list read from the list storage unit 32 on a single shared screen. For example, display data is generated in which the list is arranged in a preset list display area on the shared screen and the above-mentioned shared file is arranged in a shared file display area.

[0055] Then, in step S144, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV, under the control of the display data transmission processing unit 15, transmits the generated display data from the communication I / F 40 to each of the sharing participant terminals UT via a communication link for the online conference.

[0056] As a result, a shared screen displaying the specified shared file in addition to the list is displayed on the display device of each participant terminal UT. That is, the shared file is forcibly displayed on the display screen of each participant terminal UT.

[0057] 6 shows an example of a displayed shared screen. In this example, a list of three icons L1, L2, and L3 arranged in a horizontal row is displayed in a list display area E1 in the shared screen DS, and a shared file F1 corresponding to the designated icon L1 is displayed in an enlarged manner in a shared file display area E2.

[0058] When the shared file is displayed, the display form of the corresponding "display setting in progress" icon is, for example, surrounded by a thick frame, the display size is increased, or the color or other density is changed to a darker color. On the other hand, the display form of the "standby for sharing" icon is surrounded by a thin frame, the display size is decreased, or the color or other density is changed to a lighter color. As another example, when "sharing setting in progress", text information such as "shared" may be superimposed on the icon, or a circle or star shaped mark may be displayed instead of the text information.

[0059] Furthermore, among the icons L1, L2, and L3 in the list, the icon corresponding to a file that is "being set for sharing" may be a reduced image of the file that is being set for sharing, while the icon "waiting to be shared" may be set to a thumbnail image that is a reduced face image or illustration of the participant who provided the file.

[0060] As described above, by setting the display format of the icons, the participants can clearly identify which files are set for sharing or are waiting to be shared when looking at the list display area E1.

[0061] 8 shows another example of the display of the shared screen. In this example, a list G1 to G4 of face images of conference participants, a list in which the above-mentioned icons L1, L2, and L3 are arranged in a horizontal row, and a shared file F1 selected from the list are displayed on a single shared screen DS.

[0062] The control unit 10 of the conference server SV can also handle the case where multiple icons are selected from the list displayed on the shared screen at the participant terminal UT. For example, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV, under the control of the list generation processing unit 12, first changes the display form of multiple icon information corresponding to the list stored in the list storage unit 32 to a form indicating "Sharing setting in progress."

[0063] The control unit 10 of the conference server SV then reads out a plurality of shared files corresponding to the plurality of selected icons from the shared file storage unit 33 in step S143 under the control of the display data generation processing unit 14. Then, display data is generated in which the plurality of read shared files and a list in which the display forms of the icons have been changed are arranged side by side on a single shared screen.

[0064] In step S144, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV, under the control of the display data transmission processing unit 15, transmits the generated display data to each participant terminal UT from the communication I / F 40 via a communication link for the online conference.

[0065] As a result, a list in which the display form of the icons set for sharing has been changed and a shared screen in which the selected shared files are displayed side by side are displayed on the display device of each participant terminal UT.

[0066] Fig. 7 shows an example of the display result. In this example, two icons L1 and L2 are specified in the list displayed in the list display area E1, and two corresponding shared files F1 and F2 are displayed side by side in the shared file display area E2. Also, the display forms of the icons "Sharing setup" and "Waiting to share" in the list in this case are set differently as in the case described in the example of Fig. 6.

[0067] (2-5) Changing display attribute settings on shared screens With the shared screen displayed, assume that, for example, a central person or a participant who is a shared file provider performs an operation to change the display attribute settings of the list or shared file displayed on the shared screen on the participant terminal UT by operating the cursor, etc. The types of display attribute settings changes include, for example, the display position, display size, display color, and display density.

[0068] In this case, when the control unit 10 of the conference server SV receives the request for changing the display attribute settings transmitted from the participant terminal UT in step S145, the control unit 10 generates display data in step S143 under the control of the display data generation processing unit 14, in which the display position, display size, or display color or display density of the list or shared file on the shared screen specified in the request for changing the display attribute settings is changed. Then, under the control of the display data transmission processing unit 15, in step S144, the display data after the change in the display attribute settings is transmitted to each participant terminal UT.

[0069] Thus, a shared screen in which the display position, display size, display color or display density of the list or shared file has been changed is displayed on the display device of each participant terminal UT.

[0070] (2-6) Canceling sharing settings for shared files For example, suppose that a central person or a participant who is a provider of a shared file performs a release operation on an icon in a list corresponding to a shared file displayed on a shared screen of a participant terminal UT. This release operation may be, for example, a delete operation of the icon, or a click or tap operation of a software button provided for release.

[0071] When the control unit 10 of the conference server SV detects a cancellation operation by the participant terminal UT during the display period of the shared screen in step S147, in step 148, first, under the control of the list generation processing unit 12, it restores the display form of the icon in the list specified by the cancellation operation from "Sharing setting in progress" to "Waiting for sharing."

[0072] Next, under the control of the display data generation processing unit 14, display data is generated in which the display of the shared file corresponding to the icon for which the sharing setting has been released is erased from the shared file display area E2 of the shared screen. Then, under the control of the display data transmission processing unit 15, the generated display data is transmitted from the communication I / F 40 to each participant terminal UT via a communication link for the online conference.

[0073] Thus, on the display device of each participant terminal UT, the display of the shared files is erased by canceling the sharing settings, and a shared screen showing only the list is displayed.

[0074] For example, when multiple shared files F1, F2 are displayed side by side as shown in FIG. 7, only the display of the shared files whose sharing settings have been released is erased, and the display of the shared files whose sharing settings have not been released continues.

[0075] (3) End of online meeting During the above-described online conference, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV monitors the conference end operation in step S15. If the conference end operation is not performed, the control unit 10 returns to step S12 and repeats a series of processes for the online conference from step S12 to step S14.

[0076] In response to this, for example, if the central person performs an operation to end the conference on the host terminal UT0, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV first disconnects the online conference communication links with each participant terminal UT under the control of the conference link connection processing unit 11 in step S16.

[0077] Next, in step S17, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV causes the conference link connection processing unit 11 to erase the participant identification information of the ended online conference from the participant identification information storage unit 31, and also causes the list generation processing unit 12 to erase the list used in the above conference from the list storage unit 32. In addition, under the control of the shared file acquisition processing unit 13, the shared files acquired in the ended online conference are collectively erased from the shared file storage unit 33.

[0078] The participant identification information may be left as it is as a conference participation history in the participant identification information storage unit 31. In this way, the participant identification information can be used as reference information when an online conference is scheduled by the same leader or participant at a later date.

[0079] (Action and effect) (1) As described above, in the first embodiment, when the conference server SV receives multiple requests to share files such as conference materials from multiple participant terminals UT, it first generates a list in which icons corresponding to the multiple files are arranged side by side, and transmits it to each participant terminal UT for display. Then, in this state, when an icon corresponding to a desired shared file is selected in the list on the participant terminal UT, the corresponding shared file is read from the shared file storage unit 33, and display data for displaying the shared file together with the list on a single shared screen is generated, and transmitted to the participant terminal UT for display.

[0080] Therefore, the participants in the conference can check the list of shared files from the list displayed on the displayed shared screen, and in this state, the participants can switch between multiple shared files by simply selecting a desired icon in the list. Therefore, when multiple participants each want to present their own conference materials, etc. in an online conference, each participant can smoothly switch the display of the shared files with fewer operations, thereby improving the efficiency of the online conference.

[0081] (2) In the first embodiment, when multiple icons in the list are selected, the corresponding multiple shared files can be displayed side by side on the shared screen. This makes it possible to proceed with an online conference while simultaneously viewing multiple shared files such as conference materials, for example, and thus further improve the efficiency of the online conference.

[0082] (3) Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the display form of an icon designated by a participant in the list is changed to a different form from that of an icon not designated in the list. Therefore, it is easy to confirm which files are being shared in the shared settings from the display form of the icon in the list, and this can reduce erroneous operations of the shared settings.

[0083] (4) Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the display attributes of the list or shared files displayed on the shared screen can be changed by the participant who is the provider of the shared files by operating the participant terminal UT. Therefore, even if there are many shared files, the display state of the list or shared files on the shared screen can always be set to an optimal state according to the desires of the participant.

[0084] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the conference server SV stores shared files provided from the participant terminals UT in the shared file storage unit 33, and when an icon in the list is selected in this state, the corresponding shared file is read from the shared file storage unit 33 and forcibly distributed to and displayed on each participant terminal UT. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured such that, for example, each participant may selectively display his or her own or other company's shared files that he or she wishes to view or listen to on his or her own participant terminal by operating an icon.

[0085] The second embodiment will be described below. Note that the main functions of the screen display control device in the second embodiment are provided on the participant terminal UT side, but the functions are basically the same as the functions of the screen display control device provided in the conference server SV described in the first embodiment, so the description will also be given here using FIG. 3.

[0086] When the participant terminals UT are connected by a communication link for an online conference, the control unit 10 of each participant terminal UT generates a list of icons corresponding to each connected participant terminal including its own terminal under the control of the list generation processing unit 12, and displays the list on the display screen of the own terminal. Note that the icon list may be generated by the conference server SV based on the connection destination of the communication link for the online conference, and transmitted to each participant terminal UT to be displayed on the display screen.

[0087] Furthermore, each participant terminal UT distributes, for example, by streaming, candidate files for sharing, which are composed of video data, audio data, text data, etc., created or acquired in advance, to other participant terminals via the communication link for the online conference. The streaming distribution of candidate files for sharing is performed by each participant terminal UT operating a web browser using, for example, a WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) function. Note that the conference server SV may be operated, for example, as a TURN (Traversal Using Relay around NAT) server or an SFU (Selective Forwarding Unit) server, to stream candidate files for sharing transmitted from each participant terminal UT to all participant terminals UT.

[0088] In this state, assume that a participant selects one of the icons in the list displayed on the display screen of the participant terminal UT by clicking on it. In response to this, in the control unit 10 of the participant terminal UT, the shared file acquisition processing unit 13 acquires a file as a candidate for sharing distributed from the participant terminal corresponding to the selected icon, and the display data generation processing unit 14 generates display data including an enlarged image of the acquired file as a candidate for sharing and an image in the list. The generated display data is then displayed on the display screen.

[0089] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, when a participant selects an icon L1 corresponding to his / her own terminal, a file F1 that is a candidate for sharing and is being transmitted from his / her own terminal is enlarged and displayed. Similarly, when a participant selects an icon L2 corresponding to another participant terminal, a file F2 that is a candidate for sharing and is being streamed from the other participant terminal that corresponds to the selected icon L2 is enlarged and displayed on the display screen. That is, each participant can select and view or listen to the desired participant's candidate files one by one by simply clicking on an icon displayed in the list.

[0090] Also, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, suppose that a participant operates an icon L1 corresponding to his / her own terminal and an icon L2 corresponding to another participant terminal. In this case, the share candidate files F1, F2 corresponding to the icons L1, L2 are displayed side by side in an enlarged manner on the display screen of the participant's terminal. That is, by selecting an icon, a participant can view or listen to the share candidate files of a desired number of participants side by side at the same time.

[0091] The display form of each icon in the list is controlled by the list generation processing unit 12 of the participant terminal UT, for example, as follows. That is, for an icon corresponding to a participant terminal that is currently distributing a share candidate file, for example, a reduced image of the share candidate file or a thumbnail image instead of the reduced image, or a file name is used. In this case, the icon may be surrounded by a thick line, or the icon size may be set large. On the other hand, for an icon corresponding to a participant terminal that is not currently distributing a share candidate file, a face image captured by the camera of the participant terminal UT, a face image or an illustrated image of the participant stored in advance, or the name, nickname, initials, or identification number of the participant may be used. In this way, each participant can easily determine whether a share candidate file is currently being distributed by the display form of the icon.

[0092] Furthermore, the second embodiment has a function of forcibly controlling the display of files that are candidates for sharing. This function is realized, for example, by adding a shared file forced display processing unit to the control unit 10 of the participant terminal UT. Now, assume that the selected icon is clicked again in one of the participant terminals UT. In this case, the participant terminal UT transmits a request for forcibly displaying the sharing candidate file corresponding to the selected icon to all other participant terminals UT under the control of the shared file forced display processing unit. Upon receiving the forced display request, each participant terminal UT enlarges and displays the corresponding sharing candidate file in accordance with the received forced display request under the control of the shared file forced display processing unit.

[0093] At this time, each participant terminal UT changes the display form of the corresponding icon to a form indicating that the file is being forcibly shared during the forcible display period of the candidate file sharing under the control of the list generation processing unit 12. The forcible file sharing state is released, for example, when the participant who performed the operation for forcibly displaying the shared file clicks again on the corresponding icon. This release process is also performed under the control of the forcible display processing unit for shared files.

[0094] In this way, a participant can forcefully display a desired share candidate file on all participant terminals UT participating in the conference by simply operating the selected icon again. That is, it is possible to forcefully display and cancel the display of a share candidate file without providing a dedicated operation button or the like, and without having to temporarily end the display of the selected and displayed share candidate file and then perform a separate operation for the forced display. The above-mentioned process of forcibly displaying a share candidate file may be performed under the control of the participant terminal UT, or may be performed under the control of the conference server SV.

[0095] [Other embodiments] (1) In the first embodiment, a list is generated corresponding to a shared file acquired from a participant terminal UT, and is transmitted to each participant terminal UT for display. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a list may be generated in advance corresponding to a plurality of participants, instead of a shared file, and transmitted to each participant terminal UT for display.

[0096] That is, when the control unit 10 of the conference server SV is connected to each participant terminal UT by a communication ring for an online conference, the control unit 10 generates a list in which an icon display area is assigned to each of the multiple participants participating in the conference, based on the participant ID stored in the participant identification information storage unit 31. Then, display data of the generated list is generated and displayed on the participant terminal UT.

[0097] In this state, when an icon in the list is clicked on the participant terminal UT, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV acquires the shared file from the participant terminal UT corresponding to the operated icon. Then, the acquired shared file is sent to the participant terminal of the sharing destination and displayed. At this time, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV changes the icon assigned to the corresponding participant in the list to, for example, a reduced image of the acquired shared file or a thumbnail image instead, or information indicating the file name. Note that for the icon corresponding to a participant terminal from which a shared file has not been acquired, a facial image or an illustrated image of the participant is used, but the participant's name, nickname, initials, identification number, etc. may also be used.

[0098] With the above configuration, the icon display area of ​​each participant in the list is assigned in advance, so that each participant can easily recognize the display position of the icon assigned to him / her in the list. This makes it possible to easily perform operations without error when attempting to share a shared file.

[0099] (2) In the first embodiment, the icons corresponding to the shared files in the list are arranged in the order in which the shared files were acquired. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, information on the amount of speech of each participant may be measured during an online conference, and the icon positions in the list may be changed based on the measurement results.

[0100] For example, the control unit 10 of the conference server SV counts the number of times each participant speaks or the frequency of appearance during an online conference. Then, the control unit 10 changes the display positions of the icons corresponding to the participants in descending order of the count value so that the icons are arranged in ascending order of the count value, for example, from the left end of the list. Alternatively, the control unit 10 changes the display positions of the icons corresponding to the participants in the list with the largest count value so that the icons are arranged in the center of the list.

[0101] Generally, participants who speak frequently or express themselves frequently are often key players in the conference, and in this case, there is a high probability that the key player's shared files will be specified and displayed on the shared screen. Therefore, by changing the display position of the icon corresponding to the participant who speaks frequently or expresses himself / herself frequently to the most prominent position in the list, participants can more easily specify shared files, which makes it possible to proceed with the conference more smoothly and efficiently.

[0102] (3) In the first and second embodiments, the list is described as an example in which a plurality of icons corresponding to shared files are arranged in a horizontal row. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the list may be, for example, a list in which a plurality of icons are arranged in a vertical row or in a ring shape, or a two-dimensional matrix shape. Also, the icons may be arranged so that some of them overlap. In this way, even if there are a large number of icons, it is possible to display many icons in a list of a relatively small size.

[0103] Furthermore, the configuration, shape, size, etc. of the icons may be set in any way, and the display positions of the list and shared files on the shared screen may also be set appropriately.

[0104] (4) In the first embodiment, the case where all processes related to the display control of the shared screen are collectively executed by the conference server SV has been described as an example. That is, the case where all the functions of the screen display control device according to the present invention are provided in the conference server SV has been described as an example.

[0105] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the conference server SV may be provided with only a function of generating a list and transmitting the generated list to each participant terminal UT separately from the shared file set for sharing, and each participant terminal UT may edit the list and the shared file received from the conference server SV to generate display data for the shared screen and display it on a display device. In this way, it becomes possible to distribute and execute the processing related to the display control of the shared screen, and it becomes possible to reduce the processing load of the conference server SV.

[0106] In this case, it is preferable to generate a display layout of the shared screen in the conference server SV and notify the participant terminals UT of this display layout in advance. In this way, each participant terminal UT can display a shared screen with a unified display layout according to the display layout specified by the conference server SV.

[0107] (5) In the first embodiment, the conference server SV serves as the core of the online conference system. However, any one of the participant terminals may serve as the conference server.

[0108] In addition, the configuration and use of the online conference system, the functions of the screen display control device, the control processing procedures and processing contents, the types of shared files, the shape and size of the display area on the shared screen, etc. can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of this invention.

[0109] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present invention in every respect. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, in implementing the present invention, a specific configuration according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

[0110] In short, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments as they are, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] SV: Conference server UT0: Host terminal UT, UT1~UTn: Participant terminal NW…Network 10...Control section 11...Conference link connection processing unit 12...List generation processing unit 13...Shared file acquisition processing section 14...Display data generation processing unit 15...Display data transmission processing unit 20...Program memory section 30...Data storage unit 31…Participant identification information storage unit 32...List storage section 33...Shared file storage section 40…Communication I / F 50…Bus

Claims

1. A screen display control device used in a system in which a plurality of participant terminals used by participants are connected to a server device via a network, and the plurality of participant terminals are communicated with each other in a conference under the control of the server device, comprising: a list generation processing unit that generates a list including a plurality of icons associated with each of the plurality of participant terminals or the shared files transmitted by the plurality of participant terminals; a shared file selection processing unit that selects, when the icon in the list is selected, the shared file to be transmitted by the participant terminal associated with the selected icon; a display data generation processing unit that generates display data for displaying the generated list and the selected shared file on a display screen of the participant terminal, and outputs the display data to the participant terminal; Equipped with the shared file selection processing unit, when a selection operation is performed on a plurality of the icons in the list, selects a plurality of the shared files corresponding to the plurality of selected icons; The display data generation processing unit generates shared screen display data for collectively displaying the list and the selected shared files on the display screen of the participant terminal. Screen display control device.

2. The screen display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the list generation processing unit sets a display form of the icon selected in the list to a different form from a display form of the other icons not selected.

3. 3. The screen display control device according to claim 2, wherein the list generation processing unit represents the icon that has been selected in the list by information identifying the corresponding shared file, and represents other icons that have not been selected by information identifying the corresponding participant.

4. 2 . The screen display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display data generation processing unit variably sets display attributes of the list or the shared file on the display screen in response to a request for setting display attributes input from the participant terminal.

5. The screen display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the list generation processing unit acquires information regarding the volume of comments of the participants during the conference period, and changes the display position of the corresponding icon in the list based on the acquired information regarding the volume of comments.

6. A screen display control method executed by a screen display control device used in a system in which a plurality of participant terminals used by participants are connected to a server device via a network and a conference is performed between the plurality of participant terminals under the control of the server device, the screen display control method comprising: generating a list including a plurality of icons associated with each of the plurality of participant terminals or the shared files transmitted by the plurality of participant terminals; selecting, when the icon in the list is selected, the shared file to be transmitted by the participant terminal associated with the selected icon; generating display data for displaying the generated list and the selected shared file on a display screen of the participant terminal, and outputting the generated display data to the participant terminal; Equipped with The step of selecting the shared file includes, when a plurality of the icons are selected in the list, selecting a plurality of the shared files corresponding to the plurality of selected icons; The step of outputting the display data to the participant terminal includes generating shared screen display data for collectively displaying the list and the selected plurality of shared files on the display screen of the participant terminal. Screen display control method.

7. A program that causes a program provided in a screen display control device to execute processing by each of the processing units provided in a screen display control device described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A screen display control device used in a system for performing conference communication between a plurality of participant terminals used by participants respectively via a network or a server device disposed on the network, comprising: a list generation processing unit that generates a list including icons corresponding to each of the plurality of participant terminals and displays the generated list on a display screen of the plurality of participant terminals; a shared file display processing unit that, when an icon included in the list is selected on the participant terminal, displays a shared file transmitted by the participant terminal corresponding to the selected icon, together with the list, on the display screen of the participant terminal on which the selection is performed; a shared file forced display processing unit that, when the icon corresponding to the participant terminal that is the transmission source of the shared file is operated again while the shared file is being displayed, forcibly displays the shared file being displayed on the display screens of the multiple participant terminals; A screen display control device comprising:

9. The screen display control device according to claim 8, wherein the list generation processing unit changes the display form of the icon corresponding to the participant terminal that is the source of the shared file when the shared file is forcibly displayed to a form indicating that the icon is being forcibly displayed.

10. 1. A screen display control method executed by a screen display control device used in a system for performing conference communication between a plurality of participant terminals respectively used by participants via a network or a server device disposed on the network, comprising: generating a list including icons corresponding to each of the plurality of participant terminals, and displaying the generated list on display screens of the plurality of participant terminals; When the icon included in the list is selected on the participant terminal, a shared file transmitted by the participant terminal corresponding to the selected icon is displayed on the display screen of the participant terminal on which the selection is performed, together with the list; a step of forcibly displaying the shared file being displayed on the display screens of the multiple participant terminals when the icon corresponding to the participant terminal that is the source of the shared file is operated again while the shared file is being displayed; A screen display control method comprising the steps of:

11. A program that causes processing by each of the processing units provided in the screen display control device described in claim 8 or 9 to be executed by a program provided in the screen display control device.

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