Display device, data sharing system, display control method and program

Abstract

To display a desired screen for a user at the time of restarting an event.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a display device 10 sharing data constituting a shared area 700 which can be shared and displayed between another display device 10. The display device acquires history data (for example, metadata and object data) showing an execution history of an event executed by a plurality of users and causes display screens 100, 800 to display at least a part of an area specified on the basis of an operation history of a specific user included in the history data among the shared area 700 generated on the basis of the acquired history data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device, a data sharing system, a display control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Display devices that allow multiple users to input handwriting are used in conferences and the like at companies, educational institutions, government agencies, etc. Also, in remote conferences and the like between different locations, a method is known in which display screens displayed at the different locations are shared and handwriting input is performed on the same screen from each location.

[0003] Furthermore, in an event such as a conference that is held in multiple sessions, a method is also known in which the display screen of the previous event is reproduced when the event is resumed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for distinguishing materials related to different topics from materials related to other topics and reproducing the layout of the document images of the materials displayed at a certain point in the past. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional methods, when resuming an event such as a conference that was held while multiple users shared a screen using their respective display devices, there was a problem in that the screen desired by the user could not be displayed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 provides an event execution During , a shared area that can be shared with other display devices and displayed; Some areas of on the display screen, Applicable display screen Displayed in Re Ta ApplicableA display device that receives input of objects to be displayed in an area, the display device including: a receiving means for receiving a selection of a finished event; an acquiring means for acquiring history data indicating an execution history of the selected finished event; and a display device that, when the selected finished event is resumed, acquires all of the objects input on the display device and the other display device based on the acquired history data. was calculated as and a display control means for displaying the area on the display screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to set the area to be displayed on the display screen based on the user's operation history, thereby achieving the effect of, for example, allowing the screen desired by the user to be displayed when an event is resumed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the overall configuration of a data sharing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an image of how an electronic whiteboard is used. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an electronic whiteboard. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a PC. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a communication management device. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a shared area shared by a plurality of display devices and a display screen displayed on the display device. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a data sharing system. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a user information management table. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an event history management table. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metadata file. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an object data file. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a screen display process when an event is restarted. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an event selection screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shared area. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the screen display process when an event is resumed. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a display area in a shared area. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a display area setting process in a display device. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a region candidate selection screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of a display area in a shared area. [Figure 21] 10A is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for storing thumbnail images when an event ends, and FIG. 10B is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for storing thumbnail images when the event is being executed. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a thumbnail image management table. [Figure 23] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a data sharing system. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metadata file. [Figure 25] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of a data sharing system. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a thumbnail image management table. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a screen display process when an event is restarted. [Figure 28] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a display state of a shared area on a display device according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metadata file according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an object data file according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a region candidate selection screen according to a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0009] ●Embodiment● ●System configuration First, an outline of the configuration of a data sharing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a data sharing system. The data sharing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a system in which data that can be displayed on a plurality of display devices 10 can be shared among each other.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the data sharing system 1 includes display devices 10A and 10B located at multiple locations (location A, location B), and a communication management device 50. The display devices 10A and 10B and the communication management device 50 that constitute the data sharing system 1 can communicate via a communication network 5. The communication network 5 is constructed using the Internet, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), or the like. Note that the communication network 5 may include not only wired communication networks but also wireless communication networks such as 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0011] The display devices 10A and 10B are computers equipped with handwriting input functions, communication functions, and display functions. The display device 10A is, for example, an electronic whiteboard installed at site A, and the display device 10B is a portable notebook PC (Personal Computer) at site B. The display devices 10A and 10B perform remote communication while sharing objects input by handwriting. User A and User B can hold an event such as a remote conference while viewing a shared area where display content is shared at each site. Note that the event is not limited to a remote conference, and may be a remote lesson, a remote medical examination, a meeting, a consultation, or a simple conversation.

[0012] The display devices 10A and 10B communicate screen data such as handwritten object data with each other. The object data is data necessary to display (reproduce) a display screen including objects handwritten on the display devices 10A and 10B by the users A and B, respectively. The object data includes coordinate data, line width data, line color data, vector data, data indicating the pen pressure when a stroke is input, and the like.

[0013] The display devices 10A and 10B transmit and receive object data of shared objects, allowing users of the data sharing system 1 to share the same objects. An object is an image showing lines or the like input by a user through handwriting input using an electronic pen or the like. An object is displayed using object data indicating a point specifying its coordinates on the display.

[0014] The display device 10 is not limited to an electronic whiteboard or a PC, but may be any device on which a software application for executing handwriting input, communication, and display functions is installed. The PC may also be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet device, a wearable device or smartwatch, a car navigation device, a game console, a telepresence robot, or a medical device.

[0015] While FIG. 1 shows an example constructed by display devices 10 (10A, 10B) located at two bases (base A, base B), the data sharing system 1 may also be configured to include multiple display devices 10 at one base. Furthermore, the number of bases constituting the data sharing system 1 may be three or more bases with a display device 10 located at each base, or may be only one base where multiple display devices 10 are located at one base. Hereinafter, when referring to the display devices 10A and 10B collectively, they will be referred to as "display device 10."

[0016] The communication management device 50 is a server computer that centrally manages login authentication from the display devices 10A and 10B, the communication status of the display devices 10A and 10B, shared screen data, etc. The communication management device 50 also relays shared screen data between the multiple display devices 10A and 10B.

[0017] The communication management device 50 may be configured by one server computer or multiple server computers. Although the communication management device 50 will be described as a server computer existing in a cloud environment, it may be a server that operates on a display device 10 such as an electronic whiteboard, or may be a server that exists in an on-premise environment.

[0018] ○Image of how to use the electronic whiteboard○ Here, an image of how an electronic whiteboard, which is an example of the display device 10, is used will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an image of how an electronic whiteboard is used. As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic whiteboard, which is an example of the display device 10, is composed of legs 251 having a plurality of casters on the lower side, support columns 252 provided on the upper side of the legs 251, a main body 253 of the electronic whiteboard provided on the upper side of the support columns 252, and a display 280 provided on the front side of the main body 253. The main body 253 incorporates a CPU 201, which will be described later, and the like. A user can input (draw) objects such as characters on the display 280 using an electronic pen 290. The display 280 is an example of a display unit.

[0019] ●Hardware configuration Next, the hardware configuration of the devices or terminals that make up the data sharing system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Note that components may be added or deleted from the hardware configurations shown in Figures 3 to 5 as needed.

[0020] ○Hardware configuration of electronic whiteboard○ First, the hardware configuration of an electronic whiteboard, which is an example of the display device 10, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an electronic whiteboard. Each piece of hardware configuration of the electronic whiteboard, which is an example of the display device 10, is indicated by a reference number in the 200s. As shown in Fig. 3, the electronic whiteboard includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 204, a network I / F (Interface) 205, and an external device connection I / F 206.

[0021] Of these, the CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the electronic whiteboard. The ROM 202 stores the CPU 201 and programs used to drive the CPU 201, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201. The SSD 204 stores various data, such as programs for the electronic whiteboard. The network I / F 205 controls communication with the communication network 5. The external device connection I / F 206 controls communication with external devices, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 230, a PC 270, a microphone 240, a speaker 250, or a camera 260.

[0022] The electronic whiteboard also includes a capture device 211, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 212, a display controller 213, a contact sensor 214, a sensor controller 215, an electronic pen controller 216, a short-range communication circuit 219, an antenna 219a of the short-range communication circuit 219, a power switch 222, and selection switches 223.

[0023] Of these, the capture device 211 acquires image data displayed on a display 280, which is an example of a display unit, via a display controller 213 and stores the image data in a RAM 203 or the like. The GPU 212 is a semiconductor chip (processor) that specializes in graphics. The display controller 213 controls and manages screen display to output an output image from the capture device 211 or the GPU 212 to the display 280 or the like. The contact sensor 214 detects contact of the electronic pen 290, the user's hand H, or the like on the display 280. The sensor controller 215 controls the processing of the contact sensor 214. The contact sensor 214 inputs and detects coordinates using an infrared blocking method. This coordinate input and coordinate detection method involves two light receiving and emitting devices installed at both ends of the upper side of the display 280 emitting multiple infrared rays parallel to the display 280, which are reflected by reflecting members installed around the periphery of the display 280 and return along the same optical path as the light emitted by the light receiving element. The contact sensor 214 outputs the ID of the infrared light emitted by the two light receiving and emitting devices that has been blocked by an object to the sensor controller 215, and the sensor controller 215 identifies the coordinate position of the contact position of the object. The electronic pen controller 216 communicates with the electronic pen 290 to determine whether the pen tip or the pen tail has touched the display 280. The short-range communication circuit 219 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The power switch 222 is a switch for switching the power of the electronic whiteboard on and off. The selection switches 223 are a group of switches for adjusting, for example, the brightness and color of the display 280.

[0024] The electronic whiteboard further includes a bus line 210. The bus line 210 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 201 shown in FIG.

[0025] The contact sensor 214 is not limited to an infrared blocking type, and various detection means may be used, such as a capacitive touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting a change in capacitance, a resistive film touch panel that identifies the contact position by a change in voltage between two opposing resistive films, or an electromagnetic induction touch panel that identifies the contact position by detecting electromagnetic induction caused by an object touching the display unit. Also, the electronic pen controller 216 may determine whether or not the part of the electronic pen 290 that the user grips or other parts of the electronic pen have been touched, in addition to the pen tip and pen butt.

[0026] ○PC hardware configuration○ Next, the hardware configuration of a PC, which is an example of the display device 10, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a PC. Each piece of hardware in the PC, which is an example of the display device 10, is indicated by a reference numeral in the 300s. As shown in Fig. 4, the PC includes a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, a hard disk (HD) 304, a hard disk drive (HDD) controller 305, a display 306, an external device connection I / F 307, a network I / F 308, a bus line 310, a keyboard 311, a pointing device 312, an audio input / output I / F 313, a microphone 314, a speaker 315, a camera 316, a digital versatile disk rewritable (DVD-RW) drive 317, and a media I / F 319.

[0027] The CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the PC. The CPU 301 is a computing device that realizes various functions of the PC by loading programs or data stored in the ROM 302, HD 304, or the like onto the RAM 303 and executing the processes. The ROM 302 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs used to run the CPU 301, such as an IPL. The RAM 303 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 301. The HD 304 stores various data, such as programs. The HDD controller 305 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 304 under the control of the CPU 301. The display 306 displays various information, such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The display 306 may be a touch panel display equipped with input means. The display 306 is an example of a display unit. The external device connection I / F 307 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB memory or a printer. The network I / F 308 is an interface for data communication using the communication network 5. The bus line 310 is an address bus or a data bus for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 301 shown in FIG.

[0028] The keyboard 311 is a type of input unit equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 312 is a type of input unit for selecting or executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The input unit may be not only the keyboard 311 and the pointing device 312, but also a touch panel, an audio input device, etc. The audio input / output I / F 313 is a circuit that processes the input and output of audio signals between the microphone 314 and the speaker 315 under the control of the CPU 301. The microphone 314 is a type of built-in sound collection unit that inputs audio. The speaker 315 is a type of built-in output unit that outputs audio signals. The camera 316 is a type of built-in imaging unit that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data. The microphone 314, speaker 315, and camera 316 may be external devices rather than built into the PC. The DVD-RW drive 317 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to a DVD-RW 318, which is an example of a removable recording medium. The removable recording medium is not limited to DVD-RW, but may be DVD-R or Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc, etc. Media I / F 319 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from and to recording medium 321, such as flash memory.

[0029] ○Hardware configuration of communication management device○ Next, the hardware configuration of the communication management device will be described using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the communication management device. Each piece of hardware configuration of the communication management device 50 is indicated by a reference number in the 500 series. The communication management device 50 is constructed by a computer, and as shown in Figure 5, includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD 504, an HDD controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0030] The CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the communication management device 50. The CPU 501 is a computing device that realizes each function of the communication management device 50 by loading programs or data stored in the ROM 502, HD 504, etc. onto the RAM 503 and executing the processing. The ROM 502 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs used to run the CPU 501, such as an IPL. The RAM 503 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB memory. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the communication network 5. The bus line 510 is an address bus or a data bus for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

[0031] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting or executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the removable recording medium is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R or a Blu-ray Disc, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0032] Each of the above programs may be recorded as an installable or executable file on a computer-readable recording medium and distributed. Examples of the recording medium include a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc, an SD card, and a USB memory. The recording medium may also be provided domestically or internationally as a program product. For example, the display device 10 realizes the display control method according to the present invention by executing the program according to the present invention.

[0033] Overview Next, the relationship between the shared area shared between the display devices 10A and 10B and the display screens displayed on the display devices 10A and 10B will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the shared area shared by multiple display devices and the display screens displayed on the display devices.

[0034] In Fig. 6, display devices 10A and 10B share objects handwritten on their respective display units as a shared area to hold events such as remote conferences. The shared area is a handwriting input area that can be shared by multiple users and allows handwriting input. The shared area is also referred to as a whiteboard, shared canvas, handwriting input area, drawing area, writing area, etc. The shared area is shared in a state that can be displayed on the display screen by mutually transmitting and receiving object data for displaying objects drawn on display devices 10A and 10B.

[0035] The shared area is an expandable area with no limitations on the area available for handwriting input. The shared area includes, for example, a so-called infinite canvas or finite canvas. That is, the shared area is larger than the area that can be displayed on the display screen of the display device 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the display devices 10A and 10B display at least a portion of the shared area on their respective display screens. By displaying only a portion of the shared area rather than the entire shared area, the display devices 10A and 10B can facilitate handwriting input by the user and facilitate understanding of the contents of the handwritten object. Furthermore, the display devices 10A and 10B can display different areas of the shared area, allowing the user to view a desired area during an event.

[0036] When displaying a portion of a shared area shared with other display devices 10 during an event, in order to smoothly resume a previously held event, it is necessary to display an appropriate area on the display screen when loading the past event file. For example, if the center of the shared area is displayed as the initial position without considering the writing position or content, after resuming the event, the user must first look at the entire shared area to determine where the writing is, preventing the meeting from starting smoothly. Furthermore, each user participating in the event may want to view different areas of the shared area. However, conventional methods have not been able to display different display screens for each user's display device when resuming an event held by multiple users. Thus, conventional methods have left room for improvement in the way the display screens displayed for each user are displayed when resuming an event held by multiple users.

[0037] Therefore, the data sharing system 1 sets a display area for each user to be displayed according to the operation history of each user in past events, so that when the event is resumed, a different display can be displayed for each user, for example, when the event is resumed, a screen desired by the user can be displayed on the display device 10. This allows the user to quickly grasp the content of the past event when viewing the display screen when the event is resumed, thereby allowing the event to be resumed smoothly.

[0038] ●Function configuration Next, the functional configuration of the data sharing system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 11. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the data sharing system. Note that Figure 7 shows devices or terminals shown in Figure 1 that are related to the processing or operation described below.

[0039] ○Functional configuration of the display device○ First, the functional configuration of display devices 10A and 10B will be described using FIG. 7. Since display devices 10A and 10B have similar functions, the functions of display device 10 will be described here. Display device 10 has a transmission / reception unit 11, a reception unit 12, a display control unit 13, a determination unit 14, a shared area generation unit 15, a screen data creation unit 16, a thumbnail image generation unit 17, a shared area restoration unit 18, an area candidate generation unit 19, a setting unit 21, an area image generation unit 22, an external device communication unit 23, and a storage / readout unit 29. Each of these units is a function or means realized when any of the components shown in FIG. 3 or 4 operates in response to an instruction from CPU 201 in accordance with a program loaded from SSD 204 onto RAM 203, or an instruction from CPU 301 in accordance with a program loaded from HD 304 onto RAM 303. The display device 10 also has a storage unit 1000 constructed by the ROM 202, SSD 204, or USB memory 230 shown in FIG. 3, or the ROM 302, HD 304, or recording medium 321 shown in FIG.

[0040] The transmission / reception unit 11 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 for the network I / F 205 or the processing of the CPU 301 for the network I / F 308, and transmits and receives various data or information to and from other devices or terminals via the communication network 5.

[0041] The accepting unit 12 is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 201 on the contact sensor 214 and the electronic pen controller 216, or the processing of the CPU 301 on the pointing device 312 or the touch panel 309, and accepts various inputs from the user.

[0042] The display control unit 13 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 on the display controller 213 or the processing of the CPU 301, and displays drawn images on the display 280 or the display 306, or accesses the communication management device 50 using a web browser or the like to display various screen data. Specifically, the display control unit 13 starts and executes various applications that run on the OS (Operating System), thereby displaying various screens drawn by the API (Application Programming Interface) provided by the OS on the display 280 or the display 306.

[0043] The determination unit 14 is realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301, and performs various determinations. The shared area generation unit 15 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301, and generates a shared area that can be shared with other display devices 10 and displayed.

[0044] The screen data creation unit 16 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or the CPU 301 and creates screen data constituting the shared area. The screen data creation unit 16 creates object data and an image of the object based on the handwritten input received by the reception unit 12. The screen data creation unit 16 also generates an image of the object based on the object data received by the transmission / reception unit 11. The screen data creation unit 16 performs a process of converting an object obtained by a user's handwritten input on the display into coordinate data. For example, when a display device 10 at a given location transmits coordinate data to a display device 10 at another location, the display device 10 at the other location displays an object with the same content on its own display based on the coordinate data. Furthermore, the screen data creation unit 16 creates metadata related to the display history of the display screen. Here, the metadata and object data created by the screen data creation unit 16 are an example of history data indicating the execution history of executed events.

[0045] The thumbnail image generating unit 17 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301, and generates a thumbnail image of the display screen displayed in the executed event.

[0046] The shared area restoration unit 18 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301, and restores the shared area created in a past event based on the screen data received by the transmission / reception unit 11.

[0047] The area candidate generating unit 19 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or the CPU 301, and generates candidates for the display area to be displayed on the display screen from among the areas included in the shared area.

[0048] The setting unit 21 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301, and sets a display area to be displayed on the display screen.

[0049] The area image generating unit 22 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or the CPU 301, and generates an area image which is an image of the display area set by the setting unit .

[0050] The external device communication unit 23 is realized by processing of the CPU 201 on the external device connection I / F 206 or processing of the CPU 301 on the external device connection I / F 307, and accepts input of various data or information from external devices connected to the display device 10.

[0051] The storage / readout unit 29 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 201 or CPU 301 , and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 1000 and reads out various data (or information) from the storage unit 1000 .

[0052] ○Functional configuration of communication management device○ Next, the functional configuration of the communication management device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The communication management device 50 has a transmission / reception unit 51, an authentication unit 52, an event history generation unit 53, a shared area generation unit 54, an event history management unit 55, a thumbnail image generation unit 56, and a storage / readout unit 59. Each of these units is a function or means realized when any of the components shown in Fig. 5 operates in response to an instruction from the CPU 501 in accordance with a program for the communication management device that has been loaded from the HD 504 onto the RAM 503. The communication management device 50 also has a storage unit 5000 constructed using the ROM 502, HD 504, or recording medium 515 shown in Fig. 5.

[0053] The transmitting / receiving unit 51 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 501 for the network I / F 509, and transmits and receives various data or information to and from other devices or terminals via the communication network 5.

[0054] The authentication unit 52 is realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and performs authentication processing for users who participate in an event using the display device .

[0055] Event history generating unit 53 is mainly realized by the processing of CPU 501, and generates event history information indicating the execution history of events executed by the user.

[0056] The shared area generating unit 54 is realized mainly by the processing of the CPU 501, and generates a shared area that can be shared among a plurality of display devices 10 and displayed.

[0057] Event history management unit 55 is mainly realized by the processing of CPU 501 , and manages the event history information generated by event history generation unit 53 .

[0058] The thumbnail image generating unit 56 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 501, and generates a thumbnail image of the display screen displayed in the executed event.

[0059] The storage / readout unit 59 is mainly realized by the processing of the CPU 501 , and stores various data (or information) in the storage unit 5000 and reads out various data (or information) from the storage unit 5000 .

[0060] User information management table FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a user information management table. The user information management table manages user information for identifying users participating in an event. A user information management DB 5001 configured by the user information management table shown in FIG. 8 is constructed in the storage unit 5000. This user information management table manages user information in which a user ID, a user name, and a password for identifying a user are associated with an email address, which is an example of destination information indicating the user's destination. The user ID and the user name are examples of user identification information for identifying a user, and the user information only needs to include at least either the user ID or the user name.

[0061] Event history management table 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an event history management table. The event history management table manages the execution history of events executed by users. An event history management DB 5002 configured by the event history management table shown in FIG. 9 is constructed in the storage unit 5000. This event history management table manages event history information that associates an event ID and event name that identify an event, the date and time the event was held, the participating users who participated in the event, and the file storage locations of various event files generated by the event.

[0062] Among these, the event start date and time indicates, for example, the date and time when the event file was last updated. The event start date and time may be the date and time when the event was first held, or may be configured to store the start date and time and end date and time of the event, respectively. The participating users indicate the user IDs of users who participated in the event. The participating users may be configured to be indicated by the usernames of users who participated in the event. Furthermore, the file storage location indicates information about the storage destination where various event files are stored. The file storage location may be an internal data path of the communication management device 50, or may be an external URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) ​​of the communication management device 50. The event files stored in the file storage location include, for example, the metadata file 500, the object data file 550, and shared area data of the event generated by the shared area generation unit 54, etc.

[0063] Metadata file FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata file. The metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10 is an event file generated when an event is executed. The metadata file 500 shows, as metadata, a display screen operation history for each user, such as moving, enlarging, or reducing the display area. The metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10 includes the event name (Name), the start time (Start) and end time (End) of the event, and an operation history (Operation Log) for each user. The operation history includes area information indicating the coordinate position (X, Y) and size (Width, Height) of the display area as the display area (ViewArea) for each user, as well as display history data indicating the display time (Time).

[0064] The example shown in FIG. 10 indicates that an event named "Theme A Regular Event 1" was held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on January 15, 2021. The example also indicates that participant "Taro" first displayed an area in the shared area with a width of 100 pixels and a height of 80 pixels, with the upper left point at (X,Y)=(10,310), for 100 seconds, and then moved to the area at (X,Y)=(100,210). The area last displayed by user "Taro" with user ID "A001" was the area at (X,Y)=(130,1300). The area last displayed by user "Saburo" with user ID "A003" was the area at (X,Y)=(105,1200). The metadata file 500 stores such operation history for each user. Note that, although the metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10 is an example in a data format of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), the data format of the metadata file 500 is not limited to this.

[0065] Object data file FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an object data file. The object data file 550 shown in FIG. 11 is an event file generated in an executed event. The object data file 550 shows, as object data, the operation history of handwritten objects such as strokes or stamps. The object data file 550 shown in FIG. 11 includes the background color (BackgroundColor) of the shared area and object data (Objects) indicating the input history of handwritten objects. The object data includes the object type (Type), detailed data information (Data) indicating the content of the object, a user ID (User) identifying the user who input the object, and the input date and time (Data). The object type is, for example, a stroke (Stroke) or a stamp (Stamp). Furthermore, if the object type is a stroke, the detailed data information includes data on the stroke's coordinate position locus (Point), line thickness (Thin), and line color (Color). Furthermore, if the object type is a stamp, the detailed data information includes, for example, the stamp's coordinate position (Point), size (Size), and image file (Image) data.

[0066] The example shown in FIG. 11 represents a shared area with a white background color, where a 5-pixel black stroke from (X,Y)=(10,10) to (X,Y)=(30,30) was input by user "Taro" with user ID "A001" at 1:32 PM on January 15, 2021. The example also represents a subsequent input by user "Saburo" with user ID "A003" at 1:40 PM on January 15, 2021, where the upper left corner of the image is (X,Y)=(100,200). Object data file 550 stores such object data for each input object. While the object data file 550 shown in FIG. 11 is in JSON format, the data format of object data file 550 is not limited to this. In addition, the object format is not limited to strokes or stamps, but may include text in which the strokes have been processed using an OCR (Optical Character Reader) to represent symbols such as letters or numbers, system-generated characters such as dates or times, predetermined shapes such as triangles, stars, or circles, or lines such as arrows, line segments, or Bezier curves.

[0067] Processing or operation of the embodiment ○Processing when the event resumes○ Next, the processing or operation of the data sharing system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 27. In the following description, processing will be described using the display device 10A used by user A, but similar processing is also performed on the display device 10B used by user B shown in Fig. 1. First, with reference to Figs. 12 to 16, the display screen displayed on the display device 10 when a previously executed event is resumed will be described. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of screen display processing when an event is resumed.

[0068] First, user A operates a predetermined input means of the display device 10A, causing the reception unit 12A of the display device 10A to receive input of user information including a user ID and a password (step S11). Next, the transmission / reception unit 11A transmits login request information to the communication management device 50 (step S12). This login request includes the user ID and password received in step S11. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management device 50 receives the login request information transmitted from the display device 10A.

[0069] Next, the authentication unit 52 of the communication management device 50 performs user authentication using the user ID and password received in step S12 (step S13). Specifically, the storage / readout unit 59 searches the user information management DB 5001 (see FIG. 8) for a pair of user ID and password corresponding to the pair of user ID and password received in step S12. If a corresponding pair is found, the authentication unit 52 determines that the requesting user A is a valid user. If a corresponding pair is not found, the authentication unit 52 determines that the requesting user A is an invalid (illegitimate) user. If the requesting user A is invalid, the transmission / reception unit 51 notifies the display device 10A that the requesting user A is invalid. However, the description will continue here for the case where the requesting user A is valid. Note that in steps S11 to S13, an example of authentication processing using the user ID input by the user has been described. However, the authentication unit 52 may be configured to perform authentication processing using the user name by accepting input of the user name in step S11.

[0070] Next, the event history management unit 55 searches the event history management DB 5002 (see FIG. 9) using user identification information such as the user ID of user A authenticated in step S13 as a search key, and reads out event history information of events in which user A participated via the storage / readout unit 59 (step S14). This event history information includes the event ID associated with user A as a participating user, the event name, the date and time of the event, participating users, and the storage location of the event file. Furthermore, the thumbnail image generation unit 56 references the event history information read out in step S14 and generates thumbnail images for each event (step S15). Specifically, the thumbnail image generation unit 56 accesses the storage location of the event file included in the event history information and generates a thumbnail image of the screen last displayed by user A for each event, based on the stored metadata file 500 and object data file.

[0071] Next, the transmitter / receiver 51 transmits the event history information read in step S14 and the thumbnail image data generated in step S15 to the display device 10A (step S16). This event history information includes at least the event ID, the event name, the date and time the event was held, and user identification information that identifies participating users. As a result, the transmitter / receiver 11A of the display device 10A receives the event history information and thumbnail image data transmitted from the communication management device 50.

[0072] The display control unit 13A of the display device 10A displays an event selection screen 600 on the display unit (e.g., the display 280 or the display 306) to allow the user to select an event to be executed (step S17). FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the event selection screen. The event selection screen 600 shown in FIG. 13 displays a list of events in which user A has previously participated. The event selection screen 600 displays event information consisting of the event history information and thumbnail image data received in step S16. The event selection screen 600 also includes selection buttons 601 (601a, 601b, 601c) for selecting each event, an "Open" button 608 that is pressed to open the event file of the selected event, and a "Cancel" button 609 that is pressed to end the event selection. User A selects an event to resume while checking the event history information, such as the date and time, event name, and participants, and the thumbnail images of the events, displayed on the event selection screen 600.

[0073] Next, when user A selects the selection button 601 and presses the "Open" button 608, the reception unit 12A of the display device 10A receives the selection of the read file, which is the event file to be read (step S18). FIG. 13 shows an example in which user A selects the event with event ID "G001" corresponding to the selection button 601a. ​​Then, the transmission / reception unit 11A transmits an event file acquisition request to the communication management device 50, indicating a request to acquire the event file (step S19). This event file acquisition request includes the event ID that identifies the event selected in step S18. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management device 50 receives the event file acquisition request transmitted from the display device 10A.

[0074] The event history management unit 55 of the communication management device 50 searches the event history management DB 5002 using the event ID received in step S19 as a search key, and reads out the storage location of a file associated with the same event ID as the received event ID via the storage and reading unit 59. Then, the event history management unit 55 reads out the event file stored in the storage location of the read file via the storage and reading unit 59 (step S20).

[0075] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 transmits the event file read in step S20 to the display device 10A (step S21). As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 11A of the display device 10A receives the event file transmitted from the communication management device 50.

[0076] The shared area restoration unit 18A of the display device 10A restores the shared area 700 shared with another display device 10 (for example, display device 10B) using the event file received in step S21 (step S22). FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a shared area. The shared area 700 shown in FIG. 14 is a handwriting input screen that was shared and displayed with another display device 10 in a past event. The shared area restoration unit 18A restores the image of the object that was input into the shared area 700 using the object data file 550, which is the received event file.

[0077] Next, setting unit 21A of display device 10A sets a display area that is at least a part of the shared area 700 restored in step S22 (step S23). Specifically, setting unit 21A sets, as the display area, the area in which user A was last displayed when the previous event ended, for example, using metadata file 500, which is the event file received in step S21. Setting unit 21A sets the display area based on area information indicating the coordinate position and size indicated in metadata file 500, for example. By setting the display area to the area that was displayed when the previous event ended, display device 10A can immediately remind user A of what was written where in the previous event.

[0078] Next, the area image generating unit 22A generates an area image of the display area set in step S23 (step S24). Then, the display control unit 13A causes the display unit (for example, the display 280 or the display 306) to display the area image generated in step S24 (step S25). FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. The display screen 100 shown in FIG. 15 shows a state in which the area image generated in step S24 is displayed. The display screen 100 includes, together with the area image, an overhead screen 150 in which the entire shared area 700 is displayed in a reduced size. The overhead screen 150 highlights the position and size of the area image displayed on the display screen 100 on the shared area 700 so that the user can identify it.

[0079] In this way, when the event is resumed, the display device 10 can reproduce the display screen that was last displayed at the end of the previous event, allowing the user to quickly understand the content of the past event. Furthermore, the display device 10 can display the position of the area displayed on the display screen 100 relative to the entire shared area 700 using the overhead view screen 150, allowing the user to easily understand the content of the event.

[0080] Here, another example of processing when a previously executed event is resumed will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Next, a display screen to be displayed on the display device 10 will be described. Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing another example of screen display processing when an event is resumed. Fig. 16 shows an example in which the processing for generating thumbnail images for the display screen is executed by the display device 10A. Note that the processing of steps S31 to S33 is similar to the processing of steps S11 to S13 shown in Fig. 12, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] In step S34, the event history management unit 55 of the communication management device 50 searches the event history management DB 5002 (see FIG. 9 ) using user identification information, such as the user ID of user A authenticated in step S33, as a search key, and reads out event history information of the event in which user A participated via the storage and reading unit 59. This event history information includes the event ID associated with user A as a participating user, the event name, the date and time the event was held, the participating users, and information about the storage location of the event file. The event history management unit 55 also accesses the storage location of the event file included in the read event history information, and reads out the stored event file via the storage and reading unit 59.

[0082] Next, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 transmits the event history information and event file read in step S34 to the display device 10A (step S35). This event history information includes at least the event ID, the event name, the date and time of the event, and user identification information that identifies participating users. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 11A of the display device 10A receives the event history information and event file transmitted from the communication management device 50.

[0083] Next, the thumbnail image generating unit 17A of the display device 10A generates a thumbnail image of the screen last displayed by the user A based on the history data relating to the operation history indicated by the event file received in step S35 (step S36). This history data relating to the operation history is specified by the metadata file 500 and the object data file 550 included in the event file.

[0084] Next, the display control unit 13A displays an event selection screen 600 (see FIG. 13) on the display unit (for example, the display 280 or the display 306) to allow the user to select an event to be executed (step S37). This event selection screen 600 displays the event history information received in step S35 and the event history showing the thumbnail images generated in step S36.

[0085] Next, when user A selects selection button 601 and presses "Open" button 608, acceptance unit 12A of display device 10A accepts the selection of the read file, which is the event file to be read (step S38). Shared area restoration unit 18 restores shared area 700 shared with another display device 10 (for example, display device 10B) using the event file corresponding to the read file selected in step S38 (step S39). Note that the subsequent processing of steps S40 to S42 is the same as the processing of steps S23 to S25 shown in FIG. 12, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] ○Selecting the display area Next, a process for selecting a display area to be displayed on display screen 100 when an event is resumed will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 20. FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of a display area in a shared area. As shown in FIG. 17, shared area 700 is larger than the display area of ​​the display screen of display device 10, and therefore at least a portion of shared area 700 (e.g., areas 750a to 750d) is displayed as a display area on display screen 100. During an event, display device 10 displays a desired area of ​​shared area 700 in response to a user's input operation, allowing the user to input and view objects by handwriting.

[0087] Here, a process for selecting a display area from a plurality of area candidates in the display area setting process in step S23 in Fig. 12 and step S40 in Fig. 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the display area setting process in a display device.

[0088] First, the setting unit 21A groups objects input within a predetermined time interval based on the object data file 550 included in the event file received by the transmitting / receiving unit 11A (step S51). For example, the setting unit 21A uses the input time (Date) indicated in the object data file 550 to regard objects input within a predetermined time interval that are close in input time as images that user A wants to display on one screen, and groups them into one group.

[0089] Next, the setting unit 21A calculates an area that includes all objects in the group (step S52). The setting unit 21A calculates area information for an area that includes all objects in each group grouped in step S51. The area information includes the coordinate position ((X, Y)) and size (width, height) of the area. If the area calculated in step S52 overlaps with another area (YES in step S53), the setting unit 21A shifts the process to step S54. The setting unit 21A then combines the groups of overlapping areas (step S54) and repeats the process from step S52. On the other hand, if the area calculated in step S52 does not overlap with another area (NO in step S53), the setting unit 21A shifts the process to step S55. In this way, if areas between groups overlap, the setting unit 21A considers the overlapping areas to be images to be displayed simultaneously on one screen, and therefore combines the overlapping areas and regards them as one group.

[0090] Next, if there is an area of ​​a predetermined size or larger among the areas calculated in step S52 (YES in step S55), setting unit 21A shifts the process to step S56. Then, setting unit 21A divides the area of ​​a predetermined size or larger (step S56). On the other hand, if there is no area of ​​a predetermined size or larger among the areas calculated in step S52 (NO in step S55), setting unit 21A shifts the process to step S57. In this way, when there is no overlap of areas between groups and no area of ​​a predetermined size or larger exists, setting unit 21A can extract candidate groups of areas to be displayed when the event is resumed.

[0091] Next, setting unit 21A determines display candidate areas from the areas calculated in step S52 (step S57). Here, the display candidate areas include, for example, a final display area that is the area last displayed by user A in the previous event, a longest display area that is the area displayed by user A for the longest time in the previous event, a densest area that is the area including the most objects input in the past event, and an overall display that includes all objects input in the past event.

[0092] The setting unit 21A determines the final display area based on, for example, the operation history of the received metadata file 500. Furthermore, the setting unit 21A determines the area with the longest display time as the longest display area based on, for example, display time information included in the display history data of the received metadata file 500. Furthermore, the setting unit 21A determines the area with the most input objects as the densest area based on, for example, the object data of the received object data file 550 and the area information included in the display history data of the received metadata file 500. The densest area is the area with the most input objects and the highest object density, based on, for example, the number of objects and the area area of ​​the area. Furthermore, the setting unit 21A determines the area including all input objects as the full display area based on the object data of the received object data file 550 and the area information included in the display history data of the received metadata file 500.

[0093] Note that the display candidate areas determined by the setting unit 21A are not limited to these, and may include, for example, the last changed area into which an object was last input in the previous event. In this case, the setting unit 21A determines the area including the object with the most recent input date and time as the last changed area based on the object data in the received object data file 550.

[0094] Next, the display control unit 13A causes a display unit (e.g., the display 280 or the display 306) to display a region candidate selection screen 400 indicating the display candidate regions determined in step S57 (step S58). FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the region candidate selection screen. The region candidate selection screen 400 shown in FIG. 19 includes images of the display candidate regions determined in step S57. The region candidate selection screen 400 also includes an "OK" button 408 that is pressed to set the selected region candidate as the display region, and a "Cancel" button that is pressed to terminate the region selection process. As described in step S57, the display candidate regions shown on the region candidate selection screen 400 are determined based on the user's operation history, etc., included in the metadata file 500 and the object data file 550. Of the display candidate regions shown in FIG. 19, the final display region and the longest display region will be different regions for each user.

[0095] Next, user A selects an area candidate and presses "OK" button 408, which causes reception unit 12A to receive the selection of the area candidate (step S59). FIG. 19 shows an example in which user A selects an area candidate corresponding to the "closest-density area." Then, setting unit 21A sets the area candidate selected in step S59 as the display area (step S60). Thereafter, display device 10A generates an area image of the set display area, as shown in steps S41 and S42 of FIG. 16, and displays the generated area image on display screen 100.

[0096] In this way, the display device 10 presents the user with candidate display areas to be displayed when the event resumes based on the operation history of each user in the user's past events, thereby allowing the user to select the optimal area that will make it easy to understand the content of the past event.

[0097] Here, another example of a display candidate area displayed on the area candidate selection screen 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 20. FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram for describing another example of a display area in a shared area. As shown in FIG. 20, the setting unit 21A of the display device 10A may be configured to set areas 760a and 760b containing specific characters, figures, or colors input into the shared area 700 as display candidate areas. In the example of FIG. 20, an area containing the character string "essential" or an object of a color (e.g., red) different from the color of a normal stroke (e.g., black) becomes a display candidate area. Note that a known technique such as OCR is used to recognize the character string.

[0098] ○Memory of thumbnail images when an event is held○ Next, a process for storing an image displayed on the display screen as a thumbnail image during an event will be described using Figures 21 and 22. In the above example, a thumbnail image is generated when the event is resumed, but reading the event file and generating the thumbnail image takes time, which may prevent the event from resuming smoothly. Therefore, Figure 21 describes an example of storing a thumbnail image of the display screen in the communication management device 50 during an event.

[0099] FIG. 21A is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for storing thumbnail images when an event ends. The reception unit 12A of the display device 10A receives a notification of the end of the event when user A performs a predetermined input operation (step S71). Then, the transmission / reception unit 11A transmits an event end notification indicating that the event is ending to the communication management device 50 (step S72). This event end notification includes the event ID of the event to be ended and image data of the display screen. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management device 50 receives the event end notification transmitted from the display device 10A. Next, the storage / readout unit 59 of the communication management device 50 stores the image data received in step S72 in the thumbnail image management DB 5003 as thumbnail image data (step S73).

[0100] FIG. 22 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a thumbnail image management table. The thumbnail image management table manages thumbnail image data of display screens displayed during events. A thumbnail image management DB 5003 configured with the thumbnail image management table shown in FIG. 22 is constructed in the storage unit 5000. This thumbnail image management table manages an event ID for identifying an event, a storage location of thumbnail data, and a user ID for identifying a user who displayed a display screen corresponding to the thumbnail image, in association with each other. The storage location indicates information about the storage destination where the thumbnail image data is stored. The storage location may be a data path within the communication management device 50, or may be a URL or URI external to the communication management device 50. The communication management device 50 uses the thumbnail image management table to store and manage thumbnail images of display screens displayed by users for each event. The thumbnail image management table may be configured to manage thumbnail images using a user name for identifying a user, along with or instead of a user ID.

[0101] FIG. 21(B) is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for storing thumbnail images during event execution. During event execution, the transmitting / receiving unit 11A of the display device 10A transmits the event ID of the event being executed and image data of the display screen to the communication management device 50 (step S91). As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 51 of the communication management device 50 receives the event ID and image data transmitted from the display device 10A. Next, the storage / reading unit 59 of the communication management device 50 stores the image data received in step S91 as thumbnail image data in the thumbnail image management DB 5003 (see FIG. 22) (step S92). The data sharing system 1 repeats the processes of steps S91 and S92 at predetermined time intervals during event execution.

[0102] As a result, the data sharing system 1 shown in FIG. 21(B) can store the most recent thumbnail image of the display screen of the display device 10A by transmitting image data of the display screen to the communication management device 50 as needed and updating the stored thumbnail image. Compared to the example of FIG. 21(A), the example of FIG. 21(B) can store thumbnail images even if the event does not end normally, such as when the display device 10A abnormally terminates. While the example of FIG. 21(B) illustrates an example in which thumbnail image data is transmitted from the display device 10A to the communication management device 50 at predetermined time intervals, the thumbnail image data may also be transmitted when there is a change in the display screen of the display device 10A. Furthermore, compared to the example of FIG. 21(B), the example of FIG. 21(A) transmits and receives thumbnail image data only at the end of the event, thereby reducing the communication load required for data communication.

[0103] Example of storing a metadata file on a display device Next, an example in which a metadata file including display history data indicating a user's operation history is stored in the display device 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 23 and 24. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a data sharing system. As shown in Fig. 23, the display devices 10A and 10B store metadata files 200A and 200B (metadata file 200), respectively, in addition to the configuration shown in Fig. 7. The storage and reading unit 29A and the storage and reading unit 29B function as acquisition units, and read and acquire the metadata file 200 stored in the respective storage units 1000.

[0104] The metadata file 200 stored in the display device 10 includes the operation history of the user who uses the display device 10. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the metadata file 200 stored in the display device 10. FIG. 24 shows, for example, the metadata file 200 stored in the display device 10 used by a user "Taro" with a user ID "A001" as the operation history of the user "Taro" with a user ID "A001". Unlike the metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10, the metadata file 200 includes only the operation history (Operation Log) of a specific user (for example, the user "Taro" with a user ID "A001").

[0105] Because metadata files store the operation history of each user, the size of the metadata increases as the number of users participating in an event increases, resulting in an increase in the size of the entire event file. Therefore, the data sharing system 1 stores the metadata file 200 in a distributed manner on the display device 10, since the metadata itself only needs to store the operation history of the user using the display device 10. This reduces the size of the event file, allowing the data sharing system 1 to reduce the amount of data stored in the communication management device 50 and shorten the time it takes for the display device 10 to download (acquire) the event file.

[0106] ○Example of storing thumbnail images on a display device○ Next, an example of storing thumbnail images of a display screen displayed by a user in the display device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 25 to Fig. 27. Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a data sharing system. As shown in Fig. 24, the display devices 10A and 10B are equipped with thumbnail image management DBs 1001A and 1001B (thumbnail image management DB 1001) that manage thumbnail image data of their respective display screens, in addition to the configuration shown in Fig. 23.

[0107] Fig. 26 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a thumbnail image management table. A thumbnail image management DB 1001 configured with the thumbnail image management table shown in Fig. 26 is constructed in the storage unit 1000. Fig. 26 shows, for example, a thumbnail image management table stored in the display device 10 used by a user "Taro" with user ID "A001". Unlike the example stored in the communication management device 50 shown in Fig. 22, this thumbnail image management table includes only thumbnail images of the display screen displayed by the user using the display device 10 where the table is stored.

[0108] Here, the process at the time of restarting an event in the case where thumbnail images have been stored in advance in the display device 10A will be described with reference to Fig. 27. Fig. 27 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the screen display process at the time of restarting an event. Note that the process of steps S101 to S105 shown in Fig. 27 is the same as the process of steps S51 to S55 shown in Fig. 16, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] In step S106, the storage / readout unit 29A of the display device 10A searches the thumbnail image management DB 1001A using the event ID included in the event history information received in step S105 as a search key, and reads out thumbnail image data associated with the same event ID as the received event ID (step S106). The display control unit 13A causes the display unit (e.g., display 280 or display 306) to display the event selection screen 600 including the thumbnail image data read out in step S106 (step S107).

[0110] Next, when user A selects the selection button 601 and presses the "Open" button 608, the reception unit 12A receives the selection of the read file, which is the event file to be read (step S108). The storage / reading unit 29 reads the metadata file 200A of the event selected in step S108 from the storage unit 1000A (step S109). Then, the shared area restoration unit 18A restores the shared area 700 shared with another display device 10 (for example, display device 10B) using the event file received in step S105 and the metadata file 200A read in step S109 (step S110).

[0111] The subsequent processing of steps S111 to S113 is the same as the processing of steps S40 to S42 shown in Fig. 16, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Note that Fig. 27 has been described as an example in which thumbnail images are stored when an event such as that shown in Fig. 21 is held, but similar to Fig. 16, the display device 10A may be configured to generate thumbnail images when the event resumes and store the generated thumbnail image data in the thumbnail image management DB 1001.

[0112] In this way, the data sharing system 1 can reduce the amount of data stored in the communication management device 50 by storing thumbnail images of the display devices 10. Note that the display devices 10 may be configured to store metadata files in the communication management device 50 and store only thumbnail images.

[0113] Modified examples of the embodiment Next, a modified example of the data sharing system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 28 to 32. The same configurations and functions as those of the above embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The data sharing system 1 according to the modified example is an example of a system in which a shared area displayed in common among a plurality of display devices 10 is composed of a plurality of pages.

[0114] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display state of a shared area on a display device according to a modified example of the embodiment. In FIG. 28, display devices 10A and 10B share a shared area divided into multiple pages to hold an event such as a remote conference. Each of display devices 10A and 10B displays a desired page from among the multiple pages included in the shared area on its display screen. Furthermore, display devices 10A and 10B can each display different pages, allowing a user to view a desired page during an event. Each page constituting the shared area may be an area of ​​the same size as the display screen of display device 10, or, as in the above-described embodiment, the page itself may be an expandable area with no limit on the area available for handwriting input.

[0115] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a metadata file according to a modified example of the embodiment. The metadata file 500a shown in FIG. 29 is stored in the storage unit 5000 of the communication management device 50, similar to the metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10. Unlike the metadata file 500 shown in FIG. 10, the metadata file 500a includes page number (Page) information as area information shown in the display area (ViewArea) for each user, along with the coordinate position (X, Y) and size (Width, Height) of the display area. Note that even when a metadata file is stored in the display device 10 shown in FIG. 24, the page number (Page) information is similarly included.

[0116] Fig. 30 is a diagram showing an example of an object data file according to a modified example of the embodiment. The object data file 550a shown in Fig. 30 is stored in the storage unit 5000 of the communication management device 50, similar to the object data file 550 shown in Fig. 11. Unlike the object data file 550 shown in Fig. 11, the object data file 550a includes information on the page number (Page) on which the object was entered as detailed data information (Data) shown in the object data (Objects).

[0117] FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to a modified example of the embodiment. The display screen 800 shown in FIG. 31 shows a state in which one page of multiple pages that will become a shared area is displayed as an area image. The display control unit 13 of the display device 10 causes the page set as the display area by the setting unit 21 to be displayed as an area image on the display screen 800. The example of FIG. 31 shows a state in which the first page of multiple pages into which an object has been input is displayed on the display screen 800. The display screen 800 includes an overhead screen 850 in which the multiple pages that make up the shared area are displayed in a reduced size, together with the area image. The overhead screen 850 highlights the page displayed on the display screen 800 so that the user can identify it.

[0118] FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of an area candidate selection screen according to a modified example of the embodiment. The area candidate selection screen 900 shown in FIG. 32 is displayed in step S58 described above when the shared area is composed of multiple pages. The area candidate selection screen 900 displays the display candidate areas of the area candidate selection screen 400 shown in FIG. 19 as display candidate pages. Like the area candidate selection screen 400, the area candidate selection screen 900 displays the last displayed page, the densest page, and the longest displayed page as display candidate areas (pages). Furthermore, the area candidate selection screen 900 displays the first page of the multiple pages that make up the shared area as a display candidate. FIG. 32 shows an example in which the user selects an area candidate (page candidate) corresponding to the "densest page (second page)." Note that area candidates may be set on a page-by-page basis as shown in FIG. 32, or may be set for each partial area within a page.

[0119] In this way, the data sharing system 1 according to the modified example can reproduce the display screen that was displayed in a past event based on the user's operation history for each page when the event resumes, even if the shared area is made up of multiple pages.

[0120] Effect of the embodiment As described above, the data sharing system 1 sets a partial display area of ​​the shared area 700 according to the operation history of each user in a past event, thereby enabling a different display area to be displayed for each user participating in the event when the event is resumed. For example, when the event is resumed, a screen desired by the user can be displayed on the display device 10. The data sharing system 1 allows the user to quickly understand the content of the past event when the event is resumed, thereby enabling the event to be resumed smoothly. Furthermore, the data sharing system 1 presents the user with candidate display areas according to the operation history of each user using the candidate area selection screen 400, enabling the user to select an optimal area that allows the user to easily understand the content of the past event.

[0121] ●Summary● As described above, a display device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a display device 10 that shares data constituting a shared area 700 that can be shared and displayed with other display devices 10, acquires history data (e.g., metadata and object data) indicating the execution history of events executed by multiple users, and displays at least a portion of the shared area 700 generated based on the acquired history data, which is identified based on the operation history of a specific user included in the history data, on the display screen 100, 800. This allows the display device 10 to display a screen desired by the user when the event resumes.

[0122] Furthermore, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention displays area candidate selection screens 600, 900 showing multiple area candidate selections to be included in shared area 700 based on the operation history of a specific user included in acquired history data (e.g., metadata and object data), accepts the selection of one area from the multiple displayed area candidate selections, and sets the selected area. In this way, display device 10 presents the user with display area candidate selections to be displayed when the event is resumed based on the operation history of each user in the user's past events, allowing the user to select an optimal area that will allow the user to easily grasp the content of the past event.

[0123] Furthermore, a data sharing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a data sharing system 1 that shares data constituting a shared area 700 that can be shared and displayed between a display device 10A (an example of a first display device) and a display device 10B (an example of a second display device). The display device 10A and the display device 10B acquire history data (e.g., metadata and object data) indicating execution histories of events executed by a first user (e.g., user A) and a second user (e.g., user B). The display device 10A also displays, on the display screen 100 (an example of a first display screen) of the display device 10A, a first area that is at least a part of the shared area 700 generated based on the acquired history data and is identified based on the operation history of the first user included in the history data. The display device 10B also displays, on the display screen 100 (an example of a second display screen) of the display device 10B, a second area that is at least a part of the shared area 700 generated based on the acquired history data and is different from the first area that is identified based on the operation history of the second user included in the history data. This allows the data sharing system 1 to display different areas for each user on the display screen when the event is resumed.

[0124] ●Additional Information● Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in the present embodiment includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices designed to perform each function described above, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a system on a chip (SOC), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a conventional circuit module.

[0125] Furthermore, the various tables in the above-described embodiments may be generated by the learning effects of machine learning, and tables may not be used by classifying data for each associated item using machine learning. Here, machine learning refers to a technology that allows a computer to acquire human-like learning capabilities, in which the computer autonomously generates algorithms necessary for judgments such as data classification from previously acquired learning data and applies these algorithms to new data to make predictions. The learning method for machine learning may be any of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and deep learning, or may be a combination of these learning methods. Any learning method for machine learning is acceptable.

[0126] So far, we have described a display device, a data sharing system, a display control method, and a program according to one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and other embodiments can be added, modified, or deleted, etc., within the scope that can be conceived by a person skilled in the art, and any aspect is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Data sharing system 5. Communication Network 10 Display device 10A Display device (an example of a first display device) 10B Display device (an example of a second display device) 11 Transmitting / receiving unit (an example of an acquiring means, an example of a transmitting means) 11A Transmitter / receiver (an example of an acquisition means) 11B Transmitter / Receiver (an example of an acquisition means) 12 Reception unit (an example of reception means) 13 Display control unit (an example of a display control means) 13A display control unit (an example of a first display control means) 13B display control unit (an example of second display control means) 18 Shared area restoration unit (an example of a shared area restoration means) 21 Setting unit (an example of setting means) 29 Memory / readout unit (an example of an acquisition means) 29A Memory / Readout Unit (an example of an acquisition means) 29B Memory / Readout Unit (an example of an acquisition means) 50 Communication management device 100,800 display screens 150,850 overhead images 200,500,500a metadata file 550,550 object data files 400,900 Area candidate selection screen 600 Event Selection Screen 700 Shared Area 1000 Memory unit (an example of memory means) [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0128] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-73096

Claims

1. A display device that displays, on a display screen, a part of a shared area that can be shared and displayed with other display devices during an event, and receives input of an object to be displayed in the part of the shared area displayed on the display screen, A receiving means for receiving a selection of an event that has ended; an acquisition means for acquiring history data indicating the execution history of the selected completed event; a display control means for displaying, on the display screen, an area calculated based on the acquired history data so as to include all of the objects input on the display device and the other display device when the selected finished event is resumed; A display device comprising:

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays on the display screen at least a portion of the shared area that is set based on the operation history of a specific user included in the history data, in accordance with settings based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the area displayed on the display screen is an area including the object that indicates a specific character, graphic, or color for the shared area.

4. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display control means displays information indicating the position or size of at least a portion of an area in the shared area that is set based on the operation history of a specific user included in the history data.

5. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a shared area restoration means for restoring the shared area based on the acquired history data; a setting means for setting at least a part of the restored shared area based on the operation history of a specific user included in the acquired history data, the part being set based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data; The display control means is a display device that displays the set area on the display screen.

6. The display device according to claim 5, The display control means displays an area candidate selection screen showing a plurality of candidates for at least a part of the shared area to be set based on the operation history of the specific user included in the acquired history data, based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data; and a receiving means for receiving a selection of one area from the displayed plurality of area candidates, The setting means is a display device that sets the area in which the selection is accepted.

7. 7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmitting means for transmitting thumbnail image data of the display screen to a communication management device that stores data constituting the shared area when the event ends, The acquisition means is a display device that receives the history data and the thumbnail image data transmitted from the communication management device.

8. 8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein said transmission means transmits thumbnail image data of said display screen to said communication management device at predetermined time intervals when said event is being executed.

9. 9. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage means for storing display history data indicating a display history of a specific user; The acquisition means acquires the display history data stored in the storage means as the history data.

10. the storage means stores thumbnail image data of the display screen; The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the acquisition means acquires thumbnail image data stored in the storage means.

11. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the shared area is a handwriting input area that can be shared by a plurality of users and allows handwriting input.

12. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the shared area is configured by a plurality of pages.

13. 1. A data sharing system that displays, on a display screen, a portion of a shared area that can be shared and displayed between a first display device and a second display device during an event, and receives input of an object to be displayed in the portion displayed on the display screen, The first display device is A receiving means for receiving a selection of an event that has ended; an acquisition means for acquiring history data indicating the execution history of the selected completed event; a display control means for displaying, on the display screen, an area calculated based on the acquired history data so as to include all of the objects input on the first display device and the second display device when the selected finished event is resumed; A data sharing system comprising:

14. A display control method executed by a display device that, during an event, displays on a display screen a part of a shared area that can be shared and displayed with other display devices, and receives input of an object to be displayed in the part displayed on the display screen, comprising: a reception step for receiving a selection of a completed event; an acquisition step of acquiring history data indicating the execution history of the selected completed event; a display control step of displaying, on the display screen, an area calculated based on the acquired history data so as to include all of the objects input on the display device and the other display device when the selected finished event is resumed; A display control method that performs the following.

15. a display device that displays, on a display screen, a part of a shared area that can be shared and displayed with other display devices during an event execution, and receives an input of an object to be displayed in the part of the shared area displayed on the display screen; a reception step for receiving a selection of a completed event; an acquisition step of acquiring history data indicating the execution history of the selected completed event; a display control step of displaying, on the display screen, an area calculated based on the acquired history data so as to include all of the objects input on the display device and the other display device when the selected finished event is resumed; A program that executes the following.

16. The program of claim 15, wherein the display control step displays, on the display screen, at least a portion of the shared area that is set based on the operation history of a specific user included in the history data, in accordance with settings based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data.

17. the history data includes an input history of objects to the shared area; 16. The program according to claim 15, wherein the area displayed on the display screen is the area of ​​the shared area that includes the most objects.

18. 18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the area displayed on the display screen is an area including the object that indicates a specific character, graphic, or color for the shared area.

19. The program according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the display control step displays information indicating the position or size of at least a portion of an area in the shared area that is set based on the operation history of a specific user included in the history data.

20. 20. The program according to any one of claims 15 to 19, further comprising: a shared area restoration step of restoring the shared area based on the acquired history data; a setting step of setting at least a part of the restored shared area based on the operation history of the specific user included in the acquired history data, the part being set based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data; The display control step is a program for displaying the set area on the display screen.

21. 21. The program of claim 20, The display control step displays an area candidate selection screen showing a plurality of candidates for at least a part of the shared area to be set based on the operation history of the specific user included in the acquired history data, based on the operation history of the specific user included in the history data, and further a receiving step of receiving a selection of one area from the displayed plurality of area candidates, The setting step is a program for setting the area for which the selection has been accepted.

22. 22. The display device according to any one of claims 15 to 21, further comprising: a sending step of sending thumbnail image data of the display screen to a communication management device that stores data constituting the shared area at the end of the event; The acquiring step is a program for receiving the history data and the thumbnail image data transmitted from the communication management device.

23. 23. The program according to claim 22, wherein said transmitting step transmits thumbnail image data of said display screen to said communication management device at predetermined time intervals when said event is executed.

24. 24. The program according to any one of claims 15 to 23, further comprising: a storage step of storing display history data indicating a display history of a specific user; The acquiring step is a program for acquiring the display history data stored in the storage step as the history data.

25. the storing step stores thumbnail image data of the display screen; 25. The program according to claim 24, wherein said acquiring step acquires the thumbnail image data stored in said storing step.

26. 26. The program according to claim 15, wherein the shared area is a handwriting input area that can be shared by a plurality of users to input handwriting.

27. 27. The program according to claim 15, wherein the shared area is made up of a plurality of pages.

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