Synchronous Local Room and Remote Sharing

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for data sharing via videoconferencing using local projection of the same shared data in a local conference room. Methods, systems, and devices are also described for synchronizing the display of content in a local room with remote sharing of the same content. Methods, systems, and devices are also described for providing remote users with access to shared multimedia content within a defined room environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, system, and device for data sharing by video conferencing using local projection of shared data in a local conference room. The present invention relates to a method, system, and device for synchronizing local and remote sharing.

Background Art

[0002] Background Enabling ad-hoc groups of people to communicate with each other is one of the fundamental aspects such as cooperation, problem-solving, negotiation, teaching, and education. To support communication, there has been an explosive increase in electronic communication tools such as electronic conferencing tools, for example, synchronous and asynchronous meetings, online chats, instant messaging, audio conferencing, video conferencing, data conferencing, application sharing, remote desktop sharing, electronic meeting systems, collaboration management (collaboration) tools, project management systems, knowledge management systems, and social software systems.

[0003] Collaboration between local and remote is often attempted via video conferencing. Participants attending a meeting at a foreign location can carry a processing device such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, e-reader, etc., and can expect to receive or transmit or display digital content.

[0004] Such processing devices can have connections for one or more of various ports such as HDMI (registered trademark), VGA, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, USB, etc. These can be operated in a meeting via wired or wireless connections that enable the user to use their processing device. A collaboration or presentation system may require downloading a software package to these processing devices in order to enable communication using such a presentation or collaboration system. There are various problems that can reduce the utilization efficiency of such systems. For example, software packages already on the processing device may be outdated such that the first operation involves updating the processing device, which may in some cases involve changing settings and configuring the processing device for a particular format or application being used.

[0005] IT professionals often oppose downloading unknown software to the network that can potentially change the configuration of the processing device or the characteristics of the shared content. For example, changing the format can result in unwanted changes to the presented data.

[0006] Currently, matrix switching systems require hardwired or cable / wired connections to reliably transmit and receive the necessary bandwidth of data with the connected processing devices. Further, accessing and controlling any peripheral device connected to a typical wired matrix switching system requires multiple input devices. Currently, a single command and control device cannot control data presentation, matrix switching, and the connected peripheral devices.

[0007] A wired connection can handle the large amount of bandwidth required to transmit and receive information between all connected devices within a conference environment, while the corresponding wireless system typically does not have such bandwidth. Due to the limited bandwidth capabilities of currently available wireless systems, wireless applications are unable to handle the amount of bi-directional information transmitted from a wired matrix switch to peripheral computing and multimedia devices. Conventional wireless technologies do not support wideband signals with bandwidth requirements necessary to transmit unbuffered and uncompressed collaborative multimedia data without potential pauses, causing confusion in the conceptualization, communication, or sharing of data and information. For example, wireless systems typically achieve a transmission rate of 700 Mbps and do not support transmission rates exceeding 3 Gbps required to maintain non-compressed high-definition video conferencing (HDVC).

[0008] A wired system in a fixed location incurs installation costs for configuring and reconfiguring the network, for example, in a conference room. Connecting all peripheral devices to a matrix switching system may require a large amount of wires that can affect the aesthetic appearance of the conference room. Such an impact is often disruptive and can potentially lengthen the conference more than necessary.

[0009] Conference room video conferencing systems may experience integrated communication & collaboration (UC&C) tools (e.g., Teams, Skype, WebEx...) running on the user's laptop via a wireless USB dongle. This allows remote participants to experience audio and video not only from the person sitting in front of the laptop but also from the entire room. Next to the audio / video, both local and remote participants should also see the same content (e.g., a PowerPoint presentation) that can be presented as follows.

[0010] The first step could be to plug a peripheral device having a transmitter into user A's laptop. If user A wants to share content both remotely and locally (e.g., a PowerPoint presentation), the following two operations are required.

[0011] First, user A must perform all the steps to activate the local sharing of the data displayed on the conference room screen. Then, the user must interact with the user interface of the UC&C tool to perform all the steps for remotely sharing the locally displayed content with remote user B.

[0012] Therefore, all participants involved in the meeting, i.e., those sharing data both locally and remotely, require at least two separate operations. Computer knowledge is usually required to configure such a system to share locally and remotely, resulting in the loss of valuable time and confusion among people in the meeting as to whether the same data is being shared locally and remotely. Summary of the Invention Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a method, system, and device for data sharing by videoconference using local projection of the same shared data in a local conference room. The present invention also relates to a method, system, and device for synchronizing the display of content in a local room and the remote sharing of the same content. The present invention relates to a method, system, and device for providing remote users with access to shared multimedia content within a defined room environment.

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same content. A local conference room has a local display screen and at least one user processing device. The method includes a client application operating on a user's processing device detecting one or more windows (W1, W2, W3, ...) open on the processing device, detecting that a first window (Wx) of the one or more windows belongs to an application having a remote sharing function, the client application monitoring the first window (Wx) of the application having the remote sharing function and detecting that the application having the remote sharing function is sharing a second window (Wy) with remote video conference participants, and the client application capturing the content of the second window and transmitting the content of the second window (Wy) to the local display screen.

[0015] Next, the client application preferably continues to monitor the first window (Wx) to determine when to stop sharing the second window (Wy) via an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C tool. Based on this determination, the client application stops capturing and transmitting the window (Wy) to the local display screen.

[0016] Other behaviors of other windows can be monitored to determine expected user behaviors such as monitoring screen pixels or intercepting API calls. A UC&C tool is an application that enables audio, video, and image communication between two or more parties, as well as sharing of applications or screen content such as a computer desktop.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device. The method includes Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, search for the presence on the processing device of an application having a remote sharing function, Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, determine whether the same application or another application having a remote sharing function is active on the processing device, Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, determine the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function, Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, determine whether an application having a remote sharing function is sharing content with remote participants, Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, determine whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also shared on the local display screen, If the content transferred and shared with remote participants is not shared on the local display screen, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, share the same content being shared remotely on the local display screen.

[0018] If the content currently being shared remotely is not shared locally, the method can (preferably automatically) control an application that enables sharing the content locally so that the content being shared remotely is also shared on the local display screen.

[0019] This method makes it easier and faster to share content locally and remotely.

[0020] If the content being transferred and shared with remote participants is different from the content being shared on the local display screen, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, the same content being shared remotely is shared to the local display screen. This ensures that the same content is viewed remotely and locally, making collaboration among participants more reliable.

[0021] If the content being transferred and shared with remote participants is different from the content being shared on the local display screen, this method can (preferably automatically) control an application that enables the same content being shared remotely to be shared to the local display screen. The processing device optionally triggers an application with a remote sharing function to share the same content locally and remotely.

[0022] The processing device can most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, trigger an application with a remote sharing function to share the same content locally and remotely, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement. This allows existing applications for sharing to be used, which can be triggered automatically, for example, by a client application.

[0023] Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, some content is shared on the local display screen, but if it is determined that there is no content shared with remote participants or the content shared with remote participants is different from the content shared locally, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, a warning that the content is shared locally but not remotely or different content is being shared is notified to the local user. This enables the use of existing applications for sharing, and the warning to the participants allows the participants to, for example, automatically, i.e., without user involvement, trigger the client application to share the content.

[0024] When the content is shared remotely, determine whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also shared on the local display screen by the local sharing application, or If it is detected that the content is shared locally but not detected as being shared remotely, or if what is shared with remote participants is detected as being different from what is shared locally, the application with the remote sharing function shares remotely the same content as that shared locally.

[0025] The warning can be any of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, a tactile warning, or any combination thereof. These warnings are conventional and thus can be easily implemented.

[0026] The application with the remote sharing function can be a UC&C application. These can be made conventional and thus can be easily implemented.

[0027] Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, if it is determined that the content is being shared remotely, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, it is determined whether the same content that is being shared on the local display screen by the local sharing application is being transferred to remote participants. Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, there are various ways to determine whether the content is the same, such as using OCR to identify text, identifying image objects by detecting the edges of objects having edges with, for example, contrast jumps or color jumps, the position of objects within the image, and the like.

[0028] Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, if content sharing is detected locally but not remotely, or if what is shared with remote participants is detected as being different from what is shared locally, an application with a remote sharing function will most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, share remotely the same content that is being shared locally. This saves time and does not necessarily require human intervention, i.e., it can be done automatically. Other advantages are avoiding confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same thing locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0029] The processing device can most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, trigger an application with a remote sharing function to share remotely the same content that is being shared locally. This saves time and can avoid human interaction. Other advantages are avoiding confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same thing locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device, the system comprising means for searching, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, for the presence on a processing device of an application having a remote sharing function; first means for determining, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, whether the same application or another application having a remote sharing function is active on the processing device; second means for determining, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function; third means for determining, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, whether an application having a remote sharing function is sharing content with remote participants; when it is detected that the content is being remotely shared, fourth means, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, for determining whether the same content being transferred to the remote participants is also being shared on the local display screen by a local sharing application is provided; when it is detected that the content being transferred and shared with the remote participants is not being shared on the local display screen, fifth means, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, for sharing on the local display screen the same content being remotely shared is provided.

[0031] This system makes it easier and faster to share content locally and remotely.

[0032] If it is detected that the content transferred and shared with remote participants is different from the content shared on the local display screen, preferably most preferably automatically, i.e., without the user's involvement, means are provided to share on the local display screen the same content that is shared remotely. This can save time. This can also be executed automatically. Another advantage is to avoid confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same things locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0033] The processing device is preferably adapted to trigger, most preferably automatically, i.e., without the user's involvement, an application with a remote sharing function to share remotely the same content that is shared locally. This can save time. This can be executed automatically without human involvement. Another advantage is to avoid confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same things locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0034] If it is determined that some content is shared on the local display screen but there is no content shared with remote participants or the content shared with remote participants is different from what is shared locally, preferably most preferably automatically, i.e., without the user's involvement, means are provided to warn the local user that the content is shared locally but not remotely. This can save time. This can be executed automatically. Another advantage is to avoid confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same things locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0035] The warning can be any of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, a tactile warning, or any combination thereof. These are conventional warnings and can be easily implemented.

[0036] An application having a remote sharing function can be a UC&C application. Existing applications that save time and cost can be used.

[0037] When it is detected that content is being shared remotely, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, it is determined whether the same content that is being shared on the local display screen is being transferred to remote participants by the local sharing application. This can save time. This can be performed automatically, i.e., without human involvement. Other advantages are avoiding confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same thing locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0038] Most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, content sharing is detected locally but not remotely, or, most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, when it is detected that what is being shared with remote participants is different from what is being shared locally, an application having a remote sharing function most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, shares remotely the same content that is being shared locally. This can save time. This can be performed automatically. Other advantages are avoiding confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same thing locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0039] The processing device can most preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, trigger an application with a remote sharing function to remotely share the same content as is shared locally. This can save time. This can also be executed automatically. Other advantages are to avoid confusion (i.e., when human actions do not share the same things locally and remotely) and IT skills (i.e., the user does not need to know how to do it manually).

[0040] When executed on the processor of the processing device, a computer program product that executes any of the methods of the present invention can be provided. A non-transitory signal storage medium can be used to store the computer program product. The non-transitory signal storage medium can be, for example, an optical disk (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM), digital magnetic tape, magnetic disk, solid state memory such as a USB flash memory, ROM, etc.

[0041] Definition "Automatic operation" can include, for example for communication via a network, automatic control (i.e., without user involvement) of computer or network elements such as a processor, memory such as RAM, non-volatile memory, solid state memory, internal or external memory, device, application, application interface, I / O interface, etc. Automatic operation includes detecting the state or presence of an application running on an operating system.

[0042] "Remote meeting" such as "remote video conference" A remote meeting refers to various types of online collaboration services including webinars (hereinafter referred to as "webinars"), webcasts, peer-level web meetings, and other collaboration sessions. Such meetings can use Internet technologies such as TCP / IP connections. They can provide real-time point-to-point communication and multicast communication from one sender to multiple receivers. It can provide text-based messages, voice, audio, or video data streams that are simultaneously shared across geographically dispersed locations.

[0043] "Local display", "local device" Local displays and local devices physically exist in a local meeting room that also has one or more processing devices capable of sharing visual and / or audible content. A local sharing device such as a wireless presentation system is, for example, a receiver part that receives content from a local sharing sender via a wireless or wired network and displays this on a room display or local display. The local sharing device may be a separate device connected to the room display or local display, or may be a function integrated into the local room display.

[0044] "Local sharing client" A software application executed on a processing device in a meeting room that enables sharing of content on a local display.

[0045] The "Application UC&C Application 15 with Remote Sharing Function" is a software application for execution on a processing device that enables a user to conduct audio and / or video communication with one or more remote parties. It is preferably an application that enables audio, video, and image communication among two or more parties, as well as sharing of the application or screen content such as a computer desktop.

[0046] Examples are Teams, Skype, Lync, Zoom, Webex. Most of this kind of tools also enable sharing content with remote parties. The content is typically one of a specific window, a region of the screen, the full screen, a file (e.g., a Powerpoint file) or network collaboration content (e.g., files on OneDrive, Networked WhiteBoard application,...) (see, for example, U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2005172080 and 2013268849 and Chinese Patent Application No. 105491156 (Figure 1), each incorporated herein by reference).

[0047] "Integrated communication tool" or "integrated communication system or tool" or "unified communication and collaboration (UC&C)" refers to audio or audiovisual communication such as that provided by "Skype (trademark)" or "Skype for Business (trademark)". Such software can take over audio and / or visual data provided from a host processing device.

[0048] UC&C can be described as a set of tools for performing VOIP, (web) conferencing, shared whiteboards, message exchange (e.g., chat), file transfer, or presence. An integrated communication system or tool can utilize protocols or specifications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), text or instant messaging (e.g., AIM, Blauk, eBuddy, Gadu-Gadu, IBM Lotus Sametime, ICQ, iMessage, IMVU, Lync, MXit, Paltalk, Skype (trademark), Tencent QQ, Windows (registered trademark) Live Messenger (trademark) or MSN Messanger (trademark), Wireclub, Xfire, and Twitter (e.g., tweets), Digital Service Protocol (DSP), etc., or utilize a specific communication session or interaction. An integrated communication system or tool can utilize a video conferencing cloud service that includes a video conferencing node that enables one or more users located at a first video conferencing endpoint to communicate with one or more users located at a second video conferencing endpoint within the video conference.

[0049] Processing device The processing device has one or more processors for digital electronic processing, and memory and an operating system for executing one or more client applications. It can have an input / output interface that enables communication with one or more types of networks such as a wireless or wired network. It can have an input / output connection that enables connection to one or more types of networks such as a wireless or wired network. It can have a desktop.

[0050] "BYOD" device - (Bring Your Own Device) "BYOD" (Bring Your Own Device) devices can be brought into the conference room by the user. Such devices can be, for example, computers, laptops, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, PDAs, etc. Such devices have a non-volatile memory device, a processor, a memory, a display, a network interface, etc.

[0051] Desktop The desktop is what is displayed on the display screen of the processing device after logging on. The desktop is usually a folder that holds files and folders whose contents always remain on the screen in the background. The desktop can also include menus and icons for launching applications and managing the processing device.

[0052] Window A window is a graphical control element that includes the graphical user interface of an application running on a processing device. An application can have 0 (background processes, etc.) or one or more windows on the desktop. A window is a graphical control element that includes the graphical user interface of an application running on a processing device. An application can have 0 (background process) or one or more windows on the desktop.

[0053] For example, see https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Window_(computing). Same content There are various ways to determine whether the content in two files is the same, such as identifying common text using OCR, identifying image objects by detecting the edges of objects having edges with, for example, contrast jumps or color jumps, or correlating the positions of objects in two different images.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0054]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0055] Detailed Description Embodiments of the present invention enable a wireless connection between a user processing device such as a laptop, computer, PDA, smartphone, etc. and a base station or unit of a local conference room wireless network, and enable remote sharing with remote participants. The wireless connection may be performed by an integrated wireless transceiver within a user processing device such as a laptop, computer, PDA, or smartphone. Alternatively, in some embodiments of the present invention, the wireless connection is performed via a peripheral device plugged into, coupled to, connected to, or attached to the user processing device in some way, or provided by other hardware or software.

[0056] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which when other meeting participants having several processing devices such as 12-1 to 12-3 are in a meeting room and share the local screen 92, local sharing and remote sharing are preferably maintained synchronously, that is, automatically without user intervention. Embodiments of the present invention enable participants to use a processing device such as 12-3, which can be adapted to share its own content both locally and remotely, most preferably automatically, that is, without user intervention. In particular, embodiments of the present invention can preferably trigger sharing from local to an application having a remote sharing function such as UC&C, that is, automatically without user intervention, and / or can preferably trigger sharing from an application having a remote sharing function such as UC&C to local, that is, automatically without user intervention.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a meeting room equipped with a plurality of processing devices 12-1 to 12-3, a display screen 92, or a display device (not shown) connected to the display screen 92 for use in an embodiment of the present invention. The processing device 12-3 is sharing content with, for example, a processing device 12-4. The processing device 12-4 is at a remote location 90 and communicates with the processing device 12-3 and can share content either unidirectionally or bidirectionally. Embodiments of the present invention can optionally preferably trigger sharing from local to an application having a remote sharing function such as UC&C, that is, automatically without user intervention. The sharing of content can be either unidirectional or bidirectional. Embodiments of the present invention can preferably trigger sharing from an application having a remote sharing function such as UC to local, that is, automatically without user intervention. The present invention solves the problem that a person using the processing device 12-3 wants to share their own content with other processing devices both locally and remotely.

[0058] Figure 1 shows a meeting including a plurality of participants, and each participant has one of four processing devices 12 (12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-4), which can be, for example, laptops. Optionally, some processing devices (12-1, 12-2, 12-3), such as three, can be connected to a first peripheral device 93 one by one to each processing device, respectively, by inserting the first peripheral device 93 into a connection part on the processing device, such as a USB or HDMI connection. Alternatively, a connection device integrated with one or more processing devices (12-1, 12-2, 12-3), such as an in-vehicle wireless connection, can be used, for example, a WiFi connection can be made using an in-vehicle transceiver.

[0059] One processing device 12-3 can be the host of a call of an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C integrated communication (UC) call such as a Skype call or a business Skype call. The processing device 12-4 is a processing device of a remote participant in the call, but does not necessarily have to be the host device. Inside the meeting room 91, the processing device 12-3 is communicating with the processing device 12-4 at the remote location 90.

[0060] Optional first peripheral devices 93 (or other connection means) of two of the processing devices (for example, 12-1, 12-2) have completed a wireless connection, such as a WiFi connection with a base station 99, for example, using an in-vehicle transceiver, and are sharing media on the main display screen 92. The processing devices 12-3 and 12-4 are sharing an application call with a remote sharing function such as a UC&C integrated communication (UC) call such as a Skype call or a business Skype call.

[0061] Connected to the base station 99 is any one of the following (non-exhaustive list). For example, a web camera or camera 94 connected via a suitable connection such as a USB or HDMI connection to the base station 99, A display screen such as a touch screen 92, A speakerphone such as the USB speakerphone 95, A microphone such as the USB microphone 96 and / or a speaker set 97 (e.g., connected via an audio jack, s / pdif, USB, HDMI, etc.).

[0062] Embodiments of the present invention preferably relate to a modification of a host processing device 12-3 (i.e., a processing device in a conference room operating as a host) for automatically, i.e., without user involvement, improving the setup of remote and local displays of the same media content. The host processing device 12-3 preferably pre-installs client software for running an application having a remote sharing function such as UC&C client software. Alternatively, the host processing device 12-3 may have a launcher application that, at startup, launches a program for downloading an application with software having a remote sharing function from a server or website, or from a base station 99. Alternatively, the host processing device 12-3 obtains an application with software from storage such as a CD-ROM or flash drive, magnetic tape, solid state memory, etc.

[0063] This software interacts with endpoints such as USB endpoints on a first peripheral device 93 of an inserted option, for example, connected to the host processing device 12-3. This type of client software uses a speakerphone endpoint such as a USB endpoint as the default audio device (e.g., microphone plus speaker). Embodiments of the present invention preferably automatically, i.e., without user involvement, control all audio or visual signals emitted from and inserted into the processing device 12-3.

[0064] The speakerphone 95 can be used by any participant, for example, a participant having a first peripheral device 93 connected to a processing device and functioning. There is no need to perform an action to access this device. Embodiments of the present invention include separate controls made available in the first peripheral device 93 to, for example, control the volume of the audio output of the base station 99 and mute the room microphone 96 as needed. When muted, the microphone 96 is also muted for all other peripheral devices or applications using this device.

[0065] Software for an application having a remote sharing function such as UC&C client software executed on the host processing device 12-3 does not need to insert audio content. The microphone 96 can pick up this audio signal, or the base station 99 can insert it into the microphone signal to the first peripheral device 93 connected to the host processing device 12-3. Optionally, since the latency is short, there is no need to lip-sync with the content video (even if sharing).

[0066] A second peripheral device of the same type (not shown) can be exposed to the user when it is plugged into the base station 99, whereby the user can use a driver provided on the base station, such as from a vendor.

[0067] When one processing device 12 is shared in the room 91, it is preferable that the audio content is also shared in the room 91.

[0068] Any processing device 12 having, for example, in-vehicle wireless communication or having a functioning first peripheral device 93 can access the room camera 94 wirelessly, for example. All other devices connected to the base station 99 (for example, HID control devices) are or can be natively exposed.

[0069] For example, any user optionally connected to the system via a first peripheral device 93 has the ability to view the content projected onto the conference room 91 on the display of the user's processing device 12, i.e., the "local view". The receiver of the local view can have some or all of the following functions, but is not limited thereto.

[0070] Regardless of whether it is the stream itself, an annotation, or a blackboard session, the function of opening a window and viewing the conference room content within that window.

[0071] The function of zooming in on the content. Additional means for guaranteeing the image quality during zooming in can be added as a feature.

[0072] The local view can enable the user to start and / or participate in a blackboard or annotation session from their own device.

[0073] The function of taking a screenshot and / or pausing the local view. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the local conference room 91 has a local display screen 92. Inside the local conference room 91, there is at least one user having a user processing device 12. This processing device 12 can be a "BYOD" (bring your own device) brought into the conference room 91 by the user.

[0074] FIG. 2 schematically shows such a conference room 91 having at least one processing device 12. The processing device 12 can have, for example, a processor 3, a random access memory 5, and a non-volatile memory 7 which can be a hard drive or a solid state memory. The processor can have an operating system. The processing device 12 can have relevant input and / or output ports and several ports having a communication interface as follows.

[0075] - Cable connection 21 for communicating with a local area network (not shown) and / or for communicating with a display screen in the room and / or for communicating with a display device connected to the display screen, and / or - Wireless connection 23 and / or - Serial connection 11 such as USB connection 11, Some or all of which can be for communicating with a display screen in the room and / or for communicating with a display device connected to the display screen. All input and / or output ports such as cable connection 21 for communicating with a local area network (not shown) such as wireless connection 23, and serial connection 11 such as USB connection 11, including processor 3, random access memory (RAM) 5, non-volatile memory 7, can be linked by bus system 9.

[0076] Peripheral device 93 can have a connection 17 such as a serial connection where a USB connection is an example, a transceiver 19 or a transmitter and receiver. Connection 17 can be inserted into port 11 of processing device 12 to provide a USB serial connection.

[0077] Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a client application operating on the user processing device 12-3 detects (preferably automatically) one or more windows [W1, W2, W3....] that are open on the processing device 12-3, such as on the desktop of the processing device 12-3. The client application detects (preferably automatically) that a specific window, such as Wx, belongs to an application having a remote sharing function, such as a UC&C tool, on the processing device 12-3. By (preferably automatically) monitoring this window Wx of an application having a remote sharing function, such as a UC&C tool, on the processing device 12-3, the sharing state can be (preferably automatically) determined. Regarding other behaviors of at least other windows, such as window Wy, the client application running on the processing device 12-3 detects (preferably automatically) that an application having a remote sharing function, such as a UC&C tool, is sharing window Wy with remote audio, visual, or video conference participants at the remote location 90. Next, the client application running on the processing device 12-3 captures (preferably automatically) the same window Wy and transmits it (preferably automatically) to the local display screen 92 via the optional display device 14 and network 18. Next, the client application continues to monitor window Wx to (preferably automatically) determine when the user stops sharing window Wy via an application having a remote sharing function, such as a UC&C tool.

[0078] Optionally, Wy can be implicitly unshared from Wx or explicitly unshared (preferably automatically) by closing Wx itself. The client application can detect (preferably automatically) the non-sharing operation. Next, the client application can (preferably automatically) stop the capture and also (preferably automatically) stop the transmission of window Wy to the local display screen 92.

[0079] Local sharing client (20) The local sharing client 20 is a software application executed on the processor of the operating system of the processing device 12 in the conference room that enables sharing of content to the local display 92. This sharing can be done wirelessly from the local sharing client 20 to the local display 92 via the network 18, or to a display device such as the wireless presentation device 14 connected to the local display 92 via the network 18, or directly from the client to the wireless presentation device 14 such as a wireless presentation peripheral device (such as a USB / HDMI dongle). The wireless presentation peripheral device can be connected or coupled to the processing device 12 by inserting it into a connection port such as a USB or HDMI port on the processing device 12, for example.

[0080] The client application 20 is an application comprising software blocks 22, 24, 26, 28, and 29, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. Thus, the local sharing client 20 can comprise the following software blocks.

[0081] UC&C application detection mechanism (22) This software block 22, which is part of the client application 20 operating on the processing device 12, can (preferably automatically) detect the presence of an application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 operating on the processing device 12. There are various ways to do this, each of which is an embodiment of the present invention. The software block 20 comprising the software block 22 can execute one, some, or all of the following.

[0082] First, a software block 22, which is part of the client application 20, can (preferably automatically) make a request to obtain a list of open windows from the operating system of the processing device 12. For example, the software block 22 operating on the processing device 12 can (preferably automatically) detect the windows [W1, W2, W3....] open on the desktop of the processing device 12.

[0083] Next, the software block 22 can (preferably automatically) examine this list of windows to determine whether one of the windows has an indicator, such as a string, for example, a title containing a specific string. Such a text string can indicate a known application having a remote sharing function, for example, including a known UC&C application title.

[0084] Alternatively, the software block 22 can (preferably automatically) request a list of running processes from the operating system of the processing device 12 and (preferably automatically) determine whether any of the process names match a known text string of a known application having a remote sharing function, such as a known UC&C application process name.

[0085] A further method is that the software block 22 can (preferably automatically) capture the data on the display screen of the processing device 12 and apply OCR or image recognition technology to (preferably automatically) detect the presence of a specific string, such as the name of a known application having a remote sharing function, for example, the name of the known UC&C application 15.

[0086] Using the method of the software block 22, which is part of the software block 20, it is (preferably automatically) detected that the window Wx belongs to a known application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C tool. The software block 22 can (preferably automatically) search for the name of the window or related process and (preferably automatically) match it with a known application having a remote sharing function such as a known UC&C name (e.g., Skype for Business (trademark), Microsoft Teams...).

[0087] Yet another method is that the software block 22 (preferably automatically) monitors the behavior of one or more processes on the processing device 12 and (preferably automatically) determines a fingerprint behavior corresponding to a known application having a remote sharing function such as the known UC&C application 15.

[0088] UC&C behavior detection mechanism (24) For example, the software block 24 is adapted to (preferably automatically) detect the operation of a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15. There are various ways to do this, each of which is an embodiment of the present invention. The software block 24 can (preferably automatically) execute one, some, or all of the following.

[0089] The software block 22 or the software block 24 can request (preferably automatically) a list of open windows from the operating system of the processing device 12. Regardless of how the list is obtained, the software block 24 can (preferably automatically) monitor the behavior of these windows while the user is working in a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15. For example, the software block 24 can (preferably automatically) determine whether a window in the list of open windows is suddenly focused when the user clicks on a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15.

[0090] The request for the list can be made (preferably automatically) by the software block 22 or by the software block 24. Regardless of how the list is obtained, the software block 24 can (preferably automatically) determine whether a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 has created a window around that window indicating that it is capturing another window.

[0091] The software block 24 can (preferably automatically) capture the screen of the processing device and apply OCR or image recognition technology to detect whether a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 has started capturing another window. For example, it can look for a rectangle (preferably automatically) drawn around another window or a text hint within the user interface of the UC&C application 15.

[0092] The software block 24 can be adapted to (preferably automatically) predict what the user wants to share. For example, the software block 24 can (preferably automatically) monitor pointer interactions such as "mouse" interactions. For example, it can determine the tooltips on the hovering widget or the status updates on the clicked widget to (preferably automatically) predict what the user wants to share.

[0093] Thus, by (preferably automatically) monitoring the window Wx of a known application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C tool, the client application 24 can (preferably automatically) detect that a known application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C tool is sharing a specific window Wy with the remote processing device 12-4 of the video conference participant. Using (preferably automatically) monitoring the state of the window, such as the creation / destruction of the window, the focused / unfocused state, the user's behavior can be predicted. For example, in the application Teams (trademark) (Microsoft), when trying to share a window, the tool brings the selected window to the foreground and then creates another sharing indicator "border window" at the top. Thus, this sharing indicator notifies that a specific window is being shared with remote participants.

[0094] Another method is to (preferably automatically) capture the screen and use artificial intelligence including machine learning to analyze whether an unknown application having a remote sharing function such as an unknown UC&C tool is sharing a window, and if so, which window it is and find its content.

[0095] Local sharing sender client application (28) Software block 28 can (preferably automatically) send content from the processing device 12 to the local room display 92. For example, the network interface of the processing device 12 can be used (preferably automatically) to send data to the local room display 92, or additional peripheral devices 93 such as a USB peripheral device inserted into the USB port of the processing device 12 can be utilized (preferably automatically). The peripheral device 93 can have, for example, a transmitter or transceiver 19 (Figure 2) for sending content to the local room display 92 via the local sharing device 14 and a network 18 for doing so (preferably automatically).

[0096] User notification software (29) This software block 29 can (preferably automatically) send notifications to the user. The notification can be any method of notifying the user of an event, such as one or more of the following.

[0097] A pop-up message on the screen of the processing device. An audio hint or message.

[0098] A change in the color of an optical indicator on a peripheral device connected to the processing device, or a change in color or optical pattern on the display screen of the processing device.

[0099] A tactile message. Shared / non-shared predictor and synchronizer (26) This software block 26 can (preferably automatically) combine and / or synchronize a known application with a remote sharing function having a detection mechanism such as the UC&C application detection mechanism 22 and a behavior detection mechanism such as the UC&C behavior detection mechanism 24 to (preferably automatically) determine a synchronization operation and the local sharing state.

[0100] To achieve synchronization between local and remote, it is preferable or necessary to have both an application that provides a detection mechanism (preferably operating automatically) to an application with a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15, i.e., the UC&C detection mechanism 22, and an application that provides a behavior detection mechanism to an application with a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15, i.e., the UC&C behavior detection mechanism 24. The software block 22 detects (preferably automatically) the presence of an application with a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15, and the software block 24 monitors (preferably automatically) the state of an application with a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15.

[0101] The operation can be one or both of the following. If a known application with a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 is sharing some content that the local sharing sender 28 is not sharing (preferably automatically detected), this is a trigger for the local sharing sender 28 to share the same content (preferably automatically) with, for example, the local sharing device 14 and project it onto the local room display 92.

[0102] When the local sharing sender 28 shares (preferably automatically) content that is not shared by a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15, an operation is (preferably automatically) executed. This operation can be to notify the user about this using the user notification software block 29. For example, a warning can be (preferably automatically) notified. Alternatively, when a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 has means to (preferably automatically) execute this operation programmatically, the operation can be to (preferably automatically) trigger a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 to share the same content with remote participants. Alternatively, the trigger of an application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C application 15 can be (preferably automatically) provided by other means such as simulating an event such as simulating a keyboard or mouse event. Alternatively, the trigger can be (preferably automatically) provided via a system API such as Window's Post Messages (for example, an operating system event).

[0103] When the client application starts sharing "locally", known applications having a remote sharing function such as the existing UC&C tool 15 are (preferably automatically) monitored for their presence in the operating system of the processing device 12. When the client software (preferably automatically) finds a known application having a remote sharing function such as the UC&C tool 15, a quick access shortcut is (preferably automatically) notified to the user through the user notification block 29. When the user clicks on the shortcut, the client application automatically brings the selected tool to the foreground, enabling the user to start sharing "remotely" in an efficient manner.

[0104] Other windows W1, ... Wn, ... (32) on the system This is a list of windows available on the operating system of the processing device 12. A single application can have multiple active windows. For example, during a presentation, Powerpoint™ can have both a window showing the presentation and a window containing the presenter's notes.

[0105] Room display (92) and local sharing device (14) These devices 14 and 92 physically exist within the local room 91 together with the processing device 12 that can share visual and / or auditory content. The local sharing device 14 (e.g., a wireless presentation system) is a receiver part that receives (preferably automatically) content from the local sharing transmitter 28 (e.g., via a wireless or wired network 18) and displays this on the room display 92. The local sharing device 14 may be a separate device connected to the room display 92 or may be a function integrated into the room display 92.

[0106] Ambiguous sharing protection The success of the prediction accuracy may depend on the "behavior sampling rate" and on which "inputs" can be obtained from the windows Wx and Wy for supply to the prediction model. So, one or some or all of the window Wy shared via the window Wx may meet 100% prediction accuracy. In such a case, the detection logic may meet an ambiguous decision. To solve this problem, the client application can automatically display a quick window sharing shortcut via the user notification block 29 to let the user intervene and resolve the ambiguous decision.

[0107] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a method 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 102, a local sharing application is (preferably automatically) launched on a local processing device 12, for example, in a local conference room 91, and the local sharing application utilizes an operating system that operates on a processor 3 and, if necessary, memories 5 and 7 of the local processing device 12. At step 104, a client application (preferably automatically) starts a search for whether there is an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application on the processing device. The client application utilizes an operating system that operates on a processor 3 and, if necessary, memories 5 and 7 of the local processing device 12. This method step is preferably continuously or intermittently executed on the processing device 12 with a reasonable probability, such as within less than 5 minutes, of detecting the presence using the operating system running on the processor 3 and, if necessary, memories 5 and 7 of the processing device 12. At step 106, using the processor 3 of the processing device 12 and, if necessary, utilizing memories 5 and 7, it is (preferably automatically) determined whether an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application is active on the processing device 12 using a client application that operates on the operating system. If the answer is no at step 106, the method 101 returns to step 104 and retries. The method 101 repeatedly and continuously goes through the sequence of steps 104 and 106 until it is determined that an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application is active. If the answer is yes at step 106, the method 101 proceeds to step 108, where the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application is (preferably automatically) determined. This can be (preferably automatically) determined using a client application that is executed on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 and utilizes memory if necessary.In step 110, whether an application having a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application is sharing content with remote participants is determined (preferably automatically) by a client application running on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 that utilizes memory as necessary. If not in step 110, in step 116, whether the same content being transferred to the remote participants is also being shared by the local sharing application on the local display screen 92 and optionally also by a local sharing device that displays the content on the local display screen 92 is determined (preferably automatically) by a client application running on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 that utilizes memory 5, 7 as necessary. If the answer is no in step 116, the local sharing application running on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 and using memory 5, 7 as necessary shares, in step 118, the same content as that being shared with the remote participants with respect to the local display screen 92 and optionally also with respect to a local sharing device that displays the content on the local display screen 92. This sharing can be triggered (preferably automatically) by a client application running on the operating system of the processor of the processing device. Then, method 101 returns to step 104. Alternatively, if the answer is no in step 116, the local user is warned (preferably automatically) in step 118 that the content is being shared locally but not remotely, or that different content is being shared. The warning can be any of an audible warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, a tactile warning, or any combination thereof. Then, method 101 returns to step 104. If the answer is yes in step 116, method 101 returns to step 104.

[0108] If the answer is "no" in step 110, the local sharing application that runs on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 and uses the memories 5 and 7 as necessary determines (preferably automatically) in step 112 whether any content is being shared by an application with a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application on a local display screen by, for example, the processing device 12 or on a local display device that displays the content on the local display screen 92. If the answer is "yes" in step 112, it is determined (preferably automatically) in step 114 whether the local sharing application can change the sharing state of an application with a remote sharing function such as a UC&C application. If the answer is "yes" in step 114, the local sharing application that runs on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12 and uses the memories 5 and 7 as necessary shares, in step 115, the same content as that being shared with remote participants with respect to the local display screen 92 and optionally with respect to a local sharing device that displays the content on the local display screen 92. This sharing can be triggered by a client application running on the operating system of the processor 3 of the processing device 12. Then, the method 101 returns to step 104.

[0109] If the answer is "no" in step 114, in step 115, the local user is (preferably automatically) notified in step 117 that the content is shared locally but not remotely, and the method returns to step 104. The warning can be any of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, a tactile warning, or any combination thereof. If the answer is "no" in step 112, the method 101 returns to step 104.

[0110] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device. The system can include means for (preferably automatically) searching for the presence on a processing device of an application having a remote sharing function as provided by a processing device having a processor, and an operating system adapted to search for the presence on a processing device of an application having a remote sharing function. The system can include a first means for (preferably automatically) determining whether an application having a remote sharing function is active on the processing device, as provided by a processing device having a processor and an operating system adapted to determine whether an application having a remote sharing function is active on the processing device. The system can include a second means for (preferably automatically) determining the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function, as provided by a processing device having a processor and an operating system adapted to determine the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function. The system can include a third means for (preferably automatically) determining whether an application having a remote sharing function is sharing content with remote participants, as provided by a processing device having a processor and an operating system adapted to determine the sharing state of an application having a remote sharing function. The system can be adapted such that when it is detected that the content is being remotely (preferably automatically) shared, a fourth means is provided for (preferably automatically) determining whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also being shared on a local display screen by a local sharing application, for example, as provided by a processing device having a processor and an operating system adapted to determine whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also being shared on a local display screen by a local sharing application.If the system determines (preferably automatically) that the content transferred to and shared with remote participants is not shared on the local display screen, it can be adapted to provide means for sharing the same content on the local display screen as is being shared remotely. For example, it can be provided by a processing device having a processor and an operating system adapted to share on the local display screen, using a local sharing application, the same content that is being transferred to remote participants. If the system detects (preferably automatically) that the content transferred to and shared with remote participants is different from the content being shared on the local display screen, it can be adapted to provide means for (preferably automatically) sharing on the local display screen the same content that is being shared remotely. If the system determines (preferably automatically) that some content is being shared on the local display screen but there is no content being shared with remote participants or the content being shared with remote participants is different from what is being shared locally, it can be adapted to provide means for warning the local user that the content is being shared locally but not remotely. The warning can be any or all of an audible warning (such as an alarm noise), or a tactile (e.g., vibration), visual (e.g., a pattern or color change), optical (e.g., a change in intensity, a flashing light).

[0111] If the content is being shared remotely, the system can be adapted to provide means for (preferably automatically) determining whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also being shared on the local display screen by a local sharing application.

[0112] Implementation According to an embodiment of the present invention, the software may be implemented as a computer program product that is compiled for a processing engine to execute any of the methods of the present invention or that is compiled to execute on an interpretive virtual machine such as the Java (registered trademark) virtual machine. Some or all of the software components can be stored in memory and are executable by a processor 3 within the processing device 12. The term "executable" means a program file in a form that can ultimately be executed by the processor 3. Examples of executable programs can be, for example, a compiled program that can be converted to machine code in a form that can be loaded into the random access memory 5 and executed by the processor 3, or source code that can be represented in a suitable form such as object code that can be loaded into the random access memory 5 and executed by the processor 3, or source code that can be interpreted by another executable program to generate instructions within the random access memory 5 that are executed by the processor 3, and the like.

[0113] A device such as the processing device 12 can comprise logic encoded in a medium for performing (preferably automatically) any of the steps of the method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The logic can comprise software encoded on a disk or other computer-readable medium and / or instructions encoded in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other processor or hardware. The processing device 12 can also include a CPU and / or a GPU and memory, and the CPU and / or the GPU have a processing engine capable of executing the software of the present invention.

[0114] The computer program product may be stored in a non-transitory signal storage medium such as an optical disk (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM), digital magnetic tape, magnetic disk, solid state memory such as a USB flash memory, ROM, and the like.

[0115] When software is loaded onto each one or more devices such as processing device 12 and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., It can be implemented by a computer program product adapted to (preferably automatically) execute a function of (preferably automatically) synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device.

[0116] When software is loaded onto each one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., (Preferably automatically) search for the presence of an application with a remote sharing function on a processing device of the application, (Preferably automatically) determine whether an application with a remote sharing function is active on a processing device, (Preferably automatically) determine the sharing state of an application with a remote sharing function, (Preferably automatically) determine whether an application with a remote sharing function is sharing content with remote participants, When the content is being shared remotely, (Preferably automatically) determine whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also being shared on the local display screen, If it is (Preferably automatically) detected that the content being transferred and shared with remote participants is not being shared on the local display screen, it can be implemented by a computer program product adapted to (Preferably automatically) execute a function of sharing the same content being shared remotely on the local display screen.

[0117] When software is loaded onto each one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., If it is detected (preferably automatically) that the content transferred and shared with remote participants is different from the content shared on the local display screen, it can be implemented with a computer program product adapted to perform a function of (preferably automatically) sharing the same content as that shared remotely on the local display screen.

[0118] When software is loaded onto respective one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., If it is determined (preferably automatically) that some content is shared on the local display screen but there is no content shared with remote participants or the content shared with remote participants is different from that shared locally, a function of (preferably automatically) notifying the local user of a warning that the content is shared locally but not remotely or different content is being shared can be implemented with a computer program product adapted to perform such a function. The warning is preferably any one of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, a tactile warning, or any combination thereof.

[0119] When software is loaded onto respective one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., It can be implemented with a computer program product adapted to perform an implementation function as an application with a remote sharing function that is a UC&C application.

[0120] When software is loaded onto respective one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as a microprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, etc., When it is (preferably automatically) detected that the content is being remotely shared, a computer program product adapted to execute a function of (preferably automatically) determining whether the same content being transferred to remote participants is also being shared on the local display screen by a local sharing application can be implemented.

[0121] When software is loaded onto respective one or more devices and executed on one or more processing engines such as microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, etc., When local sharing of content is (preferably automatically) detected but remote sharing is not (preferably automatically) detected, or when what is being shared with remote participants is (preferably automatically) detected as different from what is being shared locally, a computer program product adapted to execute a function of causing an application having a remote sharing function to (preferably automatically) remotely share the same content being shared locally can be implemented.

[0122] There are various computer-based (i.e., software-based) methods for determining whether the content is the same, such as identifying text using OCR, identifying image objects by detecting the edges of objects having edges such as contrast jumps or color jumps, or correlating the positions of objects in two images.

[0123] Software, such as the computer product described above, can be stored in a non-transitory signal storage medium such as an optical disk (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, ROM, or solid state memory such as a USB flash memory.

[0124] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to several embodiments, this is for illustrative purposes of the present invention and not for limiting the present invention. The scope of the present invention is determined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the features disclosed herein in connection with individual embodiments can be combined with features from other embodiments to obtain the same technical effects and advantages.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device, comprising: searching for the presence of an application having a remote sharing function on the processing device; determining whether the same application having a remote sharing function or another application is active on the processing device; determining the sharing state of the application having a remote sharing function; determining whether the application having a remote sharing function is sharing content with a local display screen or remote participants, the method further comprising: a) when it is determined that the content is shared on the local display screen but not with the remote participants or the content shared with the remote participants is different from that shared locally, notifying the local user of a warning that the content is shared locally but not remotely or different content is being shared; or b) when it is detected that the content is shared locally but not detected as being shared remotely or is detected as being different from that shared locally with the remote participants, sharing the same content that the application having a remote sharing function shares locally remotely; or c) when the content is shared remotely, determining whether the same content being transferred to the remote participants is also shared on the local display screen; including steps selected from: the method further comprising: c1) when the content transferred and shared with the remote participants is not shared on the local display screen, sharing the same content shared remotely on the local display screen; or c2) when the content currently shared remotely is not shared locally, causing the application to also share the content shared remotely locally on the local display screen; c3) When the content transferred and shared with the remote participant is different from the content shared on the local display screen, the step of sharing the same content that is remotely shared on the local display screen by the application. A method comprising the step selected from. **Claim 2** The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing device triggers the same application having the remote sharing function to remotely share the same content as that locally shared. **Claim 3** The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing device triggers the other application for remotely or locally sharing content. **Claim 4** The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the warning is any one of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, and a tactile warning. **Claim 5** The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the application having the remote sharing function is an integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application). **Claim 6** The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) enables sharing content with remote parties, and the content is one or more of a specific window, a screen area, full screen, file, presentation, network collaboration content. The method according to claim 5. **Claim 7** The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) includes a video conferencing node that enables one or more users located at a first video conferencing endpoint to communicate with one or more users located at a second video conferencing endpoint within the video conference, and uses a video conferencing cloud service. The method according to any one of claims 5 or 6. **Claim 8** The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) uses a set of tools to perform any of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), (web) conferencing, shared whiteboard, message exchange including chat, file transfer, or presence. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7. **Claim 9** The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) is the method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, which utilizes a protocol definition or a standard definition or a specific communication session or interaction, including either Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), text, or instant messaging.

10. The application having a remote sharing function is a software application for execution on a processing device that enables one or more users located at a first video conference endpoint to conduct audio and / or video communication with one or more remote parties, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The application having a remote sharing function enables sharing of content with remote parties, and the content is one or more of a specific window, a region of a screen, a full screen, a file, a presentation, and network collaboration content, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. When content is being remotely shared, determine whether the same content being transferred to the remote participants is also being shared on the local display screen by a local sharing application, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The processing device triggers the application having a remote sharing function to remotely share the same content as that shared locally, the method according to any one of claims 3 to 12.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which is executed without user interaction or user intervention.

15. A system for synchronizing local and remote displays of the same display content using a processing device, means for searching for the presence of an application having a remote sharing function on the processing device; a first means for determining whether the same application having a remote sharing function or another application is active on the processing device; a second means for determining the sharing state of the application having a remote sharing function; a third means for determining whether the application having the remote sharing function is sharing content with a remote participant or with the local display screen, the system is, a) when it is determined that content is being shared on the local display screen but there is no content being shared with the remote participant, or that the content being shared with the remote participant is different from that being shared locally, means for providing a warning to the local user that the content is being shared locally but not remotely, or that different content is being shared, or b) when content is being shared remotely, means for determining whether the same content being transferred to the remote participant is also being shared on the local display screen by the local sharing application, configured to provide, the system further is, b1) when the content being transferred and shared with the remote participant is not being shared on the local display screen, means for sharing the same content being shared remotely on the local display screen, or b2) when the content being transferred and shared with the remote participant is different from the content being shared on the local display screen, means for sharing the same content being shared remotely on the local display screen, a system configured to provide.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the warning is any one of an auditory warning, a pop-up, an optical warning, and a tactile warning.

17. The system according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the application having the remote sharing function is an integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application).

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the integrated communication and collaboration application is an application configured to enable audio, video, and image communication between two or more parties, as well as sharing of applications or sharing of screen content of a computer desktop.

19. The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) is configured to enable sharing of content with remote parties, the content being one or more of a specific window, a region of a screen, a full screen, a file, a presentation, and network collaboration content, the system according to claim 17 or 18.

20. The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) includes a video conferencing node configured to enable one or more users located at a first video conferencing endpoint to communicate with one or more users located at a second video conferencing endpoint within a video conference, the system according to any one of claims 17 to 19.

21. The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) is configured to use a set of tools to perform any of VoIP, (web) conferencing, shared whiteboard, message exchange including chat, file transfer, or presence sharing, the system according to any one of claims 17 to 20.

22. The integrated communication and collaboration application (UC&C application) is configured to utilize a protocol definition or standard definition or a specific communication session or interaction, including either Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or text or instant messaging, the system according to any one of claims 17 to 21.

23. The application having a remote sharing function is a software application for execution on a processing device that enables one or more users located at a first video conferencing endpoint to perform audio and / or video communication with one or more remote parties, the system according to any one of claims 15 to 22.

24. The application having a remote sharing function enables sharing of content with remote participants, the content being one or more of a specific window, a region of a screen, a full screen, a file, a presentation, and network collaboration content, the system according to any one of claims 15 to 23.

25. The system according to any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein the processing device triggers the same application having a remote sharing function to remotely share the same content as that shared locally.

26. The system according to claim 15, wherein the processing device is configured to trigger the other application for executing sharing of the content remotely or locally.

27. A computer program which, when executed on a processor of a processing device, executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

28. A non-transitory signal storage medium storing the computer program according to claim 27.

29. The non-transitory signal storage medium according to claim 28, which is an optical disk (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM), digital magnetic tape, magnetic disk, solid state memory or ROM.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein searching for the presence of the application on the processing device is repeated at a predetermined time interval.

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