Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-19
2001-10-23
Nguyen, Chanh (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S156000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307570
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and object for controlling the execution of an application program on a server from an associated client and, in particular, to controlling the operation and display of an input device application on a server from an associated client node.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electronic computing devices exist that do not have traditional text input capabilities, i.e. keyboards or key number pads. Such devices may not have keyboards or number pads because of their physical size, e.g. hand-held personal digital assistants, or because it is not convenient to use the device with a keyboard, e.g. an Internet appliance which is designed to connect to a common television set and is operable only by a television remote control.
Although such devices do not have keyboards or key number pads, it is often necessary for the devices to possess traditional text input capabilities. For example, a user of an Internet appliance may need to type in a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address in order to direct the Internet appliance to display a particular page of interest. This URL address requires alphanumeric data entry, which traditionally has been done by a keyboard.
Some information appliances attempt to solve this problem by providing a software “pop-up” keyboard. Software “pop-up” keyboards are screen displays that are local to the device and allow the user to enter alphanumeric information by navigating the screen display on the local device.
Although these software devices enable traditional text input capabilities in electronic devices lacking keyboards and key pads, because they are local to the device they: occupy the memory space of the local device, which may be limited; require complex or unwieldy screen management techniques in order to distinguish keyboard events and other program events; and are not client-node independent, which limits the number of server applications that may be able to accept input from them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a remote system level soft input object and a method for creating and managing a remote system level soft input object on a server from a client node. This allows a client node, which requires traditional text input capabilities to provide keyboard or key pad functionality to a user. In addition, because the object is created and managed on the server, local memory space is preserved for local applications, local screen management is kept simple because the local application which the user is running is never displaced by the soft input object, and the input object format may be adjusted to allow the user to communicate with the server application in a way that is familiar to the user, e.g. a QWERTY keyboard, a Dvorak-style keyboard, or a traditional keypad.
In one aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling the display of an input device application, which is hosted by and executes on a server. The method includes the steps of receiving a change-of-state protocol packet from a client node and, in response to the protocol packet, changing the state of the input device application. The protocol packet may be a “raise display” protocol packet which causes the server to display the input device or it may be a “lower display” protocol packet which causes the server to stop displaying the input device.
In another aspect the invention relates to a method for providing input to an application which is executing on a server. The method includes the steps of receiving a change-of-state protocol packet from a client node and, in response to receiving the packet, changing the state of an input device application which is hosted by, and executes on, the server. Input is received from the client node and is interpreted as input to the input device application. The input to the input device application generates an input to the application which is running on the server.
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“WebTV System Guide”,http//developer.webtv.net/authoring/sysgde/sysgde.html, printed Sep. 13, 2000, 12 pages.
Screenshot of calculator application that is part of Microsoft® Windows® Operating System, 1 page.
Alphonse Fritz
Citrix Systems, Inc.
Nguyen Chanh
Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP
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