Persisting Annotated Screen Shares in Collaboration Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screen sharing tools lack the ability to effectively communicate annotations and collaborate in real-time, and they do not persist annotations for later reference after the screen sharing session has ended.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for persisting annotated screen shares within a group-based communication system, allowing users to share their screen, annotate it in real-time, and save the annotations as static images, videos, or metadata associated with the shared files, enabling enhanced collaboration and later review.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If screen sharing is implemented without annotation tools, then the system remains simple, but real-time collaboration and feedback capabilities are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines screen sharing functionality with annotation tools into a unified system. The annotation tools are integrated directly into the screen sharing interface, allowing users to annotate shared screens without switching applications. This merging of functions enables real-time collaboration while maintaining a cohesive user experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen sharing system is designed to perform multiple functions: displaying the shared screen, receiving annotations from multiple users, managing approval workflows, and persisting annotated content. This multi-functionality allows a single system to handle both screen sharing and collaborative annotation without requiring separate specialized tools.
2Loss of information
If annotations are implemented without persistence capability, then real-time feedback is provided, but annotations are lost after screen sharing ends
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically persists annotations to the cloud during the screen sharing session, preparing them for later retrieval. This preliminary action ensures that annotations are saved before the user needs to access them again, eliminating the need for manual saving and ensuring no information is lost when the session ends.
Solution Approach 2:
A cloud-based storage service acts as an intermediary between the temporary screen sharing session and permanent annotation storage. The cloud service receives annotations during the session, stores them persistently, and makes them available for later retrieval, bridging the gap between ephemeral screen sharing and permanent record-keeping.
3Reliability
If all annotations are displayed immediately without approval, then real-time collaboration is enhanced, but unverified information may be propagated
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements an approval workflow where annotation submissions are held in a pending state until approved by the screen sharer or designated approvers. This feedback mechanism ensures that only verified, accurate annotations are displayed to all participants, preventing propagation of unverified information while maintaining annotation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The approval process is implemented selectively rather than universally. The system allows the screen sharer to choose which annotations require approval and which can be displayed immediately. This partial application of approval requirements balances verification needs with collaboration efficiency, avoiding excessive delays for routine annotations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer-readable media for persisting an annotated screen share within a group-based communication system are provided. A screen share may be received from a sharing user within a synchronous multimedia collaboration session. The screen share may be transmitted to viewing users for display. A viewing user may submit an annotation for the screen share. A sharing or viewing user may then submit a request to save the annotated screen share. The annotated screen share may be automatically persisted in association with the synchronous multimedia collaboration session.