Viewport Identification via Marker in Screen Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Screen sharing applications often fail to accurately synchronize the viewport of a browser window between remotely located devices, leading to misinterpretations during collaborative tasks, as they cannot accurately determine the absolute position of the viewport relative to the screen-share, especially when dealing with complex web pages or unsupported browsers.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented to identify the viewport within a browser window by displaying a marker and analyzing its location, allowing the accurate transmission of viewport coordinates to ensure correct rendering on the remote device, thereby simulating Tab Capture by cropping the screen-share to the viewport dimensions and aligning drawings between devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If screen sharing applications share the entire browser window, then the remote device can see the full browser interface, but the viewport position cannot be accurately determined leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a marker as an intermediary element displayed on the customer device within the browser window. This marker serves as a reference point that the agent device can detect and use to calculate the viewport's absolute position. The marker mediates between the customer's browser viewport and the agent's screen share, enabling accurate coordinate mapping without requiring complex browser APIs or coordinate system transformations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If browser APIs are used to determine viewport coordinates, then the solution works for supported browsers, but it fails for unsupported browsers lacking required APIs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service approach where the marker is automatically displayed on the customer device and automatically detected by the agent device without requiring any manual configuration or special browser support. The marker-based solution is universally compatible across all browsers and devices, eliminating dependency on browser-specific APIs while maintaining accurate viewport position determination.
3Loss of information
If the entire screen is shared including browser interface elements, then all browser elements are visible, but the actual viewport content position cannot be accurately identified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential viewport position information from the complex browser interface by using a simple marker displayed within the viewport area. Instead of trying to parse complex browser API data or analyze the entire screen content, the solution extracts a single detectable marker whose position directly indicates the viewport's absolute coordinates, eliminating the need to process the entire browser interface.
4Measurement precision
If a marker is displayed to identify the viewport, then the absolute position can be accurately determined, but an additional visual element is introduced on the customer device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by displaying only the essential marker element needed for viewport identification, rather than overlaying multiple markers or complex visual aids. The marker is minimally invasive, appearing only when needed for viewport detection, and can be automatically removed once the position is determined, thus maintaining display simplicity while achieving accurate coordinate measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are some implementations of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for facilitating the identification of a viewport within a browser window of a screen that is shared via a screen-sharing application. By accurately identifying the location and dimensions of the viewport within the browser window, it is possible to render the viewport in the correct location within a screen of a remotely located device.