Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-26
2001-12-11
Hong, Stephen S. (Department: 2176)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329984
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to computer systems implementing a graphic user interface (GUI). More particularly, the invention relates to task-based application sharing in a graphic user interface such as Windows®.
2. Art Background
With the present day heavy reliance on personal computers at work and at home, a method for allowing a user to share control of one personal computer with a user of another personal computer located at a remote area is desirable.
One method of enabling one user to control a remote user's personal computer is through a “traditional” remote control method. In a traditional remote control method, a personal computer of a local user, referred to as the client system, is connected to a personal computer of a remote user, referred to as the host system. The user of the client system, referred to as the client user, takes control of the host system. The mouse and keyboard actions of the client user are then directly transmitted to the host system. The normal screen displayed on the client system is replaced with an image of the display screen of the host system.
A disadvantage of the traditional remote control method is that the traditional remote control method does not allow for both the user of the host system, referred to as the host user, and the client user to use their personal computers at the same time. Instead, while the client user is given complete control of the host system, the host user inputs are either rejected by the host system or are accepted but lead to unpredictable results. In addition, the client user is able to see the entire host screen, and hence the host user is deprived of his/her privacy with matters displayed on his/her host screen.
A different type of a remote control method (referred to herein as the “rectangle method”) allows for the host user to define a rectangle on the host system. A client user can see and act upon only the particular area defined by the rectangle on the host system. This method allows for the host user to act upon the area surrounding the rectangle on the host system screen, while the prior described traditional remote control method does not allow the host user to act upon the host system.
A disadvantage of the rectangle method is that the shared area within the rectangle is arbitrarily chosen by the host user and any subsequent movement or resizing of a window of a shared application may lead to unpredictable results. In addition, the host user has no feedback as to the selected area within which the client user may have control. Instead the personal computer screen of the host user appears as a normal screen without any rectangular demarcation to indicate the area within which the client user may have control.
Typically, users of remote control methods desire to share one or more applications on the host user's host system screen regardless of the size and/or positioning of the applications being shared. The above described remote control methods prevent any movement or resizing of a shared application. FIGS
1
a
and
1
b
illustrate two prior art methods which attempt to allow remote control of one user of a personal computer (PC) referred to as a client system, over another user's PC referred to as a host system.
FIG. 1
a
illustrates the traditional remote control method. In the traditional remote control method, normal screen
12
of client system
11
is replaced with the exact image of host screen
13
. The client user takes control of host system
14
and the client's mouse and keyboard actions are transmitted to host system
14
. While the client user has control over host system
14
, the host user is either unable to make any inputs to host system
14
or, if inputs are accepted by host system
14
, such inputs may lead to unpredictable results.
FIG. 1
b
illustrates a rectangle remote control method. In a “rectangle method” a rectangle
15
on host display screen
13
is defined. Anything within rectangle
15
may be seen by the client user through a corresponding rectangle
16
on client system
11
and may be controlled by the client user. However, the size and position of rectangle
15
is arbitrary and unchanging, and any movement or resizing of an application or a pop-up window within rectangle
15
may lead to unpredictable results.
A method overcoming the disadvantages of the above-described remote control methods which also allows both the host user and the client user to share control of one or more applications that the host user has chosen to share on the host system is desirable.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides methods and apparatus for task based application sharing in a graphic user interface such as Windows®. A user, referred to as the host user, designates an application to be shared, referred to as a shared application. Another user at a remote location, referred to as the client user, shares control of the shared application. The shared application runs on and executes only on the host system.
The client system has a rectangular area on the display screen within which all shared applications are displayed. Further, the client user can see the windows of a shared application and controls the shared application by performing mouse and keyboard movements with the client keyboard and mouse. Because the shared application is running on the host system, all client mouse and keyboard movements are first transmitted to the host system and actually executed on the host system.
The features of the task based application sharing method of the present invention include restricting display driver features, shared fonts feature, detecting children of a shared task feature, automatic resizing of remotely shared rectangle feature, detecting shared area covered by non-shared windows feature, remotely shared rectangle auto-resizing feature, remotely shared rectangle auto-resizing feature, client mouse/keyboard movement transmission feature and cursor display on client display device feature.
In the task based application sharing method of the present invention calls by the display driver on the host system are intercepted and the identification of the currently running task is examined. If the currently running task is part of a shared application, the task, which is a display driver call, is transmitted to the client system. Further, operations are monitored, and changes in a window of a shared application are transmitted to the client system as display information. The display information is then utilized by the client system to reproduce any changes in the window as displayed on the host system.
In addition, the task based application method allows the client system to render an image of all windows of a shared application including pop-up dialogs and menus without also displaying unshared applications. Further, method of the present invention allows the client host user to continue performing normal operations outside of the shared rectangular area and allows the host user to define the tasks which are to be shared.
Unlike prior art remote control methods which either render an image of the entire host screen on the client screen display device or a shared rectangular area which does not accommodate movement or resizing of a shared window, the task based application method of the present invention allows flexibility to both the host and the client users.
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Programmer's Reference vol. 1: Overview Microsoft Windows Software
Boss Dale W.
Hicks David G.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Hong Stephen S.
Intel Corporation
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