Accessing window pixel data for application sharing

Abstract

Screen sharing in which image pixel data operable to display one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application is retrieved from a memory. The retrieving excludes image pixel data operable to display at least one other display object currently contained in a user interface of said computer. The retrieved image pixel data is combined into a shared image.

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         11 . A system comprising:
 a computer including at least one processor and a memory, said memory storing collaboration application program logic, said collaboration program logic operable when executed to share portions of a user interface among multiple computers by
 retrieving, from said memory, image pixel data operable to display one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application, wherein said retrieving excludes image pixel data operable to display at least one other display object currently contained in a user interface of said computer, and 
 combining said retrieved image pixel data operable to display said one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application into a shared image. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , said collaboration program logic further operable when executed to share portions of a user interface among multiple computers by obtaining, responsive to a process identifier associated with said shared application, a set of shared window identifiers, wherein each shared window identifier in said set of shared window identifiers identifies a corresponding one of said user interface windows associated with said shared application. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 wherein said retrieving said image pixel operable to display said user interface windows associated with said shared application includes providing said set of shared window identifiers to an application programming interface that returns said image pixel data operable to display said user interface windows associated with said shared application.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , said collaboration program logic further operable when executed to share portions of a user interface among multiple computers by obtaining a set of all current window identifiers, said set of all current window identifiers including an identifier for each display object currently contained in said user interface of said computer, and wherein said obtaining said set of shared window identifiers includes using said process identifier associated with said shared application to identify those of said set of all current window identifiers that are owned by said shared application. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said application programming interface is provided by an operating system on said computer. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said retrieving image pixel data operable to display each of one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application is from a memory separate from a frame buffer used to send a current composite display image to a display device of said computer. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said user interface windows associated with said shared application are also currently contained in said user interface of said sharing computer. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one other display object currently contained in a user interface of said computer excluded from said retrieving comprises a window associated with an application currently running on said computer other than said shared application. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one other display object currently contained in a user interface of said computer excluded from said retrieving comprises a graphical user interface element associated with an operating system on said computer. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , said collaboration program logic further operable when executed to share portions of a user interface among multiple computers by transmitting said composite image from said computer for display on one or more other computers during a collaboration session. 
     
     
         21 . A computer program product comprising:
 at least one computer readable storage medium having screen sharing program code embodied thereon, the program code comprising
 program code for retrieving, from said memory, image pixel data operable to display one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application, wherein said retrieving excludes image pixel data operable to display at least one other display object currently contained in a user interface of said computer, and 
 program code for combining said retrieved image pixel data operable to display said one or more user interface windows associated with at least one shared application into a shared image.