Application aware annotations in online collaborative sessions

Abstract

An online collaborative session application executing on a processing device tracks a state of an application shared by the processing device over an online collaborative session. The online collaborative session application receives data indicative of an annotation made to an instance of the application as part of the online collaborative session. A first location of the annotation relative to the instance of the application is determined from the data indicative of the annotation and the state of the application. Based on the tracking, a change to the state of the application is determined. A second location of the annotation is determined based on the change of the state of the application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 tracking, via an online collaborative session application executing on a processing device, a state of an application shared by the processing device over an online collaborative session;   obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, first data indicative of a first annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a first instance of the application;   determining, from the first data indicative of the first annotation and the state of the application, a first location of the first annotation relative to the first instance of the application;   providing, to a remote device, first information to cause display of the first instance of the application with the first annotation at the first location;   after providing the first information, determining, based on the tracking, a change to the state of the application;   obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, second data indicative of a second annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a second instance of the application;   determining, from the second data indicative of the second annotation and the state of the application, a second location of the second annotation relative to the second instance of the application; and   in response to determining the change in the state of the application, providing, to the remote device, second information to cause display of the second instance of the application with the second annotation at the second location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein tracking the state of the application comprises tracking an area of a display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein tracking the state of the application further comprises updating the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application in response to one or more of:
 passage of a predetermined period of time;   a change in focus from the application to another application during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the first instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the second instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a movement of the first instance of the application relative to the display during the online collaborative session;   a maximization of the first instance of the application; and   a minimization of the first instance of the application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first data comprises data indicative of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the first annotation, wherein the data indicative of the plurality of pixels comprises a location for each one of the plurality of pixels within the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of pixels are described using pixel coordinates, and an origin for the pixel coordinates of the plurality of pixels is based on the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a first application window;   a first application tab;   a first application document;   a first application page; or   a first application slide.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a second application window;   a second application tab;   a second application document;   a second application page; or   a second application slide.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises data indicative of a location of a text box. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote device is an endpoint participating in the online collaborative session. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a server transmits the first information and the second information to the endpoint. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one display;   one or more network interfaces; and   one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform operations including:
 tracking, via an online collaborative session application executing via the one or more processors, a state of an application shared by the one or more processors over an online collaborative session; 
 obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, first data indicative of a first annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a first instance of the application; 
 determining, from the first data indicative of the first annotation and the state of the application, a first location of the first annotation relative to the first instance of the application; 
 providing, to a remote device, first information to cause display of the first instance of the application with the first annotation at the first location; 
 after providing the first information, determining, based on the tracking, a change to the state of the application; 
 obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, second data indicative of a second annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a second instance of the application; 
 determining, from the second data indicative of the second annotation and the state of the application, a second location of the second annotation relative to the second instance of the application; and 
 in response to determining the change in the state of the application, providing, to the remote device, second information to cause display of the second instance of the application with the second annotation at the second location. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein tracking the state of the application comprises tracking an area of a display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , tracking the state of the application further comprises updating the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application in response to one or more of:
 passage of a predetermined period of time;   a change in focus from the application to another application during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the first instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the second instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a movement of the first instance of the application relative to the display during the online collaborative session;   a maximization of the first instance of the application; and   a minimization of the first instance of the application.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the first data comprises data indicative of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the first annotation, wherein the data indicative of the plurality of pixels comprises a location for each one of the plurality of pixels within the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a first application window;   a first application tab;   a first application document;   a first application page; or   a first application slide.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the second instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a second application window;   a second application tab;   a second application document;   a second application page; or   a second application slide.   
     
     
         17 . One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, are operable to perform operations including:
 tracking, via an online collaborative session application executing on a processing device, a state of an application shared by the processing device over an online collaborative session;   obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, first data indicative of a first annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a first instance of the application;   determining, from the first data indicative of the first annotation and the state of the application, a first location of the first annotation relative to the first instance of the application;   providing, to a remote device, first information to cause display of the first instance of the application with the first annotation at the first location;   after providing the first information, determining, based on the tracking, a change to the state of the application;   obtaining, at the online collaborative session application, second data indicative of a second annotation made as part of the online collaborative session to a second instance of the application;   determining, from the second data indicative of the second annotation and the state of the application, a second location of the second annotation relative to the second instance of the application; and   in response to determining the change in the state of the application, providing, to the remote device, second information to cause display of the second instance of the application with the second annotation at the second location.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums of  claim 17 , wherein tracking the state of the application comprises tracking an area of a display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums of  claim 18 , wherein tracking the state of the application further comprises updating the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application in response to one or more of:
 passage of a predetermined period of time;   a change in focus from the application to another application during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the first instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a selection of the second instance of the application for display during the online collaborative session;   a movement of the first instance of the application relative to the display during the online collaborative session;   a maximization of the first instance of the application; and   a minimization of the first instance of the application.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums of  claim 18 , wherein the first data comprises data indicative of a plurality of pixels corresponding to the first annotation, wherein the data indicative of the plurality of pixels comprises a location for each one of the plurality of pixels within the area of the display on which the online collaborative session is displayed with information associated with the application. 
     
     
         21 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums of  claim 17 , wherein the first instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a first application window;   a first application tab;   a first application document;   a first application page; or   a first application slide.   
     
     
         22 . The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums of  claim 21 , wherein the second instance of the application comprises one or more of:
 a second application window;   a second application tab;   a second application document;   a second application page; or   a second application slide.