Synchronizing presentation states between multiple applications

Abstract

A presentation state is received from the presenting application. The presentation state may represent a current state of the local presentation. A request for the presentation state is received from the viewing application. In response to receiving the request for the presentation state, the presentation state is provided to the viewing application. A request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state is received from the viewing application. In response to receiving the request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state, the presentation file is transformed into the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state. The presentation data synchronized to the presentation state is provided to the viewing application. The viewing application may be operative to read the presentation data and to display a remote presentation in response to reading the presentation data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a presentation state between a presenting application executing on a presenter device and a viewing application executing on an attendee device, the method comprising:
 receiving a presentation state from the presenting application, the presenting application operative to read a presentation file and to display a local presentation in response to reading the presentation file, the presentation state representing a current state of the local presentation;   receiving a request for the presentation state from the viewing application;   in response to receiving the request for the presentation state, providing the presentation state to the viewing application;   receiving a request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state from the viewing application;   in response to receiving the request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state, transforming the presentation file into the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state; and   providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the viewing application operative to read the presentation data and to display a remote presentation in response to reading the presentation data.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the presenting application comprises a presentation program, the presentation file comprises a file generated by the presentation program, and the viewing application comprises a World Wide Web (“web”) browser. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation state comprises a current slide of the local presentation. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application comprises providing the presentation data corresponding to the current slide of the local presentation as specified by the presentation state. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation state comprises a current video frame of a video, a current audio frame of an audio recording, a video bookmark, or a current animation step of an animation corresponding to the local presentation. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application comprises providing the presentation data corresponding to the current video frame of the video, the current audio frame of the audio recording, the video bookmark, or the current animation step of the animation in the local presentation as specified by the presentation state. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation state comprises information about a mouse or laser pointer interacting with the local presentation. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the information about the mouse or laser pointer comprises at least one of recent coordinates, a color, or a shape. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application comprises providing the presentation data corresponding to the information about the mouse or laser pointer. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the presentation file from the presenting application. 
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising:
 a processor;   a memory operatively coupled to the processor;   a program module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to synchronize a presentation state between a presenting application executing on a presenter device and a viewing application executing on an attendee device by:
 receiving a presentation state from the presenting application, the presenting application operative to read a presentation file and to display a local presentation in response to reading the presentation file, the presentation state representing a current state of the local presentation; 
 transforming the presentation file into presentation data synchronized to the presentation state; and 
 providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the viewing application operative to read the presentation data and to display the remote presentation in response to reading the presentation data. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving a presentation state from the presenting application comprises receiving a presentation state from the presenting application while the presenting is displaying the local presentation through the presenter device. 
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application comprises initiating sending the presentation data to the viewing application in response to receiving an indication that the local presentation has started. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application further comprises terminating sending the presentation data to the viewing application in response to receiving an indication that the local presentation has ended. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving a presentation state from the presenting application comprises receiving the presentation state from the presenting application when a state of the local presentation changes. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
 receive a presentation file from a presentation program executing on a presenter device, the presentation file readable by the presentation program to display a local presentation through the presenter device, the presentation file unreadable by a viewing application executing on an attendee device, the presenter device and the attendee device operatively coupled via a network;   while the presentation program is displaying the local presentation through the presenter device, receive a presentation state from the presentation program when a state of the local presentation changes, the presentation state representing a current state of the local presentation being displayed through the presenter device;   receiving a request for the presentation state from the viewing application;   in response to receiving the request for the presentation state, providing the presentation state to the viewing application;   receiving a request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state from the viewing application;   in response to receiving the request for presentation data synchronized to the presentation state, transforming the presentation file into the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state; and   providing the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the viewing application operative to read the presentation data and to display a remote presentation in response to reading the presentation data.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the presenting application comprises a presentation program, the presentation file comprises a file generated by the presentation program, and the viewing application comprises a World Wide Web (“web”) browser. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the presentation state comprises a current slide of the local presentation; and
 wherein to provide the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to provide the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application comprises providing the presentation data corresponding to the current slide of the local presentation as specified by the presentation state.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the presentation state comprises a current video frame of a video, a current audio frame of an audio recording, a video bookmark, or a current animation step of an animation corresponding to the local presentation; and
 wherein to provide the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to provide the presentation data corresponding to the current video frame of the video, the current audio frame of the audio recording, the video bookmark, or the current animation step of the animation in the local presentation as specified by the presentation state.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the presentation state comprises information about a mouse or laser pointer interacting with the local presentation; and
 wherein to provide the presentation data synchronized to the presentation state to the viewing application, the computer-readable medium having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to provide the presentation data corresponding to the information about the mouse or laser pointer.