Proximity and context aware mobile workspaces in enterprise systems

• US 10,243,786 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Rjeili, Joe Abou, Freedman, Joseph L., Momchilov, Georgy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda
• Application Number:
  US14/172,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods and systems for configuring computing devices using mobile workspace contexts based on proximity to locations are described herein. A mobile computing device determines that the device is proximate to a location, another device, or an individual associated with an enterprise system. The mobile computing device may then receive a mobile workspace context associated with the location, device, or individual, such as one or more specific wireless networks, enterprise applications, and/or documents, and may configure the device based on the received mobile workspace context. Additional methods and systems are described herein for transmitting and receiving sets of device capabilities between multiple devices, establishing communication sessions, and sharing various capabilities between devices. Still additional methods and systems are described for determining and accessing the capabilities of enterprise system resources using mobile computing devices in an enterprise system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a first mobile computing device, that the first mobile computing device is located proximate to a second computing device;

establishing, by the first mobile computing device, a near-field communication session with the second computing device, wherein the near-field communication session transmits communications via an electromagnetic field;

transmitting, by the first mobile computing device and via the near-field communication session, a first set of device capabilities to the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is incapable of performing at least one capability of the first set of device capabilities;

receiving, by the first mobile computing device and via the near-field communication session, a second set of device capabilities from the second computing device;

establishing, by the first mobile computing device and using the near-field communication session, a persistent, long-range communication session with the second computing device;

sharing, by the first mobile computing device, the at least one capability of the first set of device capabilities with the second computing device, via the persistent, long-range communication session;

receiving, at the first mobile computing device, user input from the second computing device over the persistent, long-range communication session;

modifying, at the first mobile computing device, the received user input by converting the user input according to the first set of device capabilities, wherein said conversion comprises at least one of;

converting touch events to mouse events or vice versa;

converting touch events to keyboard events or vice versa;

or converting motion or orientation events to touch events or vice versa;

designating a third computing device to output data received from one or more of the first mobile computing device or the second computing device; and

causing, based on the designation, the third computing device to drop input received from a user at the third computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first mobile computing device, user input selecting the first set of device capabilities for sharing from a larger set of device capabilities available for sharing at the first mobile computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input selecting the first set of device capabilities for sharing is received before determining that the first mobile computing device is proximately located to the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input selecting the first set of device capabilities for sharing is received after determining that the first mobile computing device is proximately located to the second computing device, and wherein the selected first set of device capabilities to share is specific to the persistent, long-range communication session with the second computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the persistent, long-range communication session comprises a two-way sharing communication session between the first mobile computing device and the second computing device, and wherein said sharing comprises:

persistently transmitting data to the second computing device over a first time period, the transmitted data corresponding to a first device capability out of the first set of device capabilities; and

persistently receiving data from the second computing device over the first time period, the received data corresponding to a second device capability out of the second set of device capabilities.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first mobile computing device, user input authorizing one-way sharing of device capabilities with the second computing device but not authorizing two-way sharing of device capabilities with the second computing device, and wherein the sharing comprises a one-way sharing session of device capabilities in accordance with the user input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first mobile computing device is located proximate to a-the third computing device;

transmitting the first set of device capabilities to the third computing device;

receiving a third set of device capabilities from the third computing device; and

establishing a second persistent, long-range communication session with the third computing device,

wherein said sharing comprises sharing one or more device capabilities with the second computing device using the persistent, long-range communication session, and sharing one or more additional device capabilities with the third computing device using the second persistent, long-range communication session, during a same time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first set of device capabilities to the second computing device comprises transmitting data identifying one or more input or output functional capabilities of the first mobile computing device, including at least one of:

data identifying a number of display screens on the first mobile computing device;

data identifying a size of a display screen of the first mobile computing device;

data identifying a touch screen capability of the first mobile computing device;

data identifying a peripheral input or output device connected to the first mobile computing device;

data identifying a camera capability of the first mobile computing device, data identifying a microphone capability of the first mobile computing device, or data identifying a speech recognition capability of the first mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first set of device capabilities to the second computing device comprises transmitting data identifying one or more application sessions executing at the first mobile computing device, the method further comprising:

determining that the one or more application sessions have been started at the second computing device; and

terminating the one or more application sessions at the first mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more application sessions are virtual application sessions, and wherein starting the one or more application sessions at the second computing device comprises configuring a client agent application on the second computing device to allow access to the one or more virtual application sessions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein converting comprises dropping at least a portion of the user input based on a lack of an ability by the first mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a device capability of the first set of device capabilities that is shared by the first mobile computing device with the second computing device is touch screen input capability.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a device capability of the first set of device capabilities that is shared by the first mobile computing device with the second computing device is video display output capability.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion comprises at least one of:

converting touch events to keyboard events or vice versa;

or

converting motion or orientation events to touch events or vice versa.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to;

determine that the mobile computing device is located proximate to a second computing device;

establish, by the mobile computing device, a near-field communication session with the second computing device, wherein the near-field communication session transmits communications via an electromagnetic field;

transmit a first set of device capabilities to the second computing device and via the near-field communication session, wherein the second computing device is incapable of performing at least one capability of the first set of device capabilities;

receive a second set of device capabilities from the second computing device and via the near-field communication session;

establish, using the near-field communication session, a persistent, long-range communication session with the second computing device;

share, via the persistent, long-range communication session, the at least one capability of the first set of device capabilities with the second computing device;

receive first user input from a user of the mobile computing device;

receive second user input from the second computing device over the persistent, long-range communication session;

converting the second user input according to the first set of device capabilities, wherein said conversion comprises at least one of;

converting touch events to mouse events or vice versa;

converting touch events to keyboard events or vice versa;

converting voice data to text data or vice versa;

or converting motion or orientation events to touch events or vice versa;

designate a third computing device to output data received from one or more of the mobile computing device or the second computing device; and

cause, based on the designation, the third computing device to drop input received from a user at the third computing device.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to receive user input selecting the first set of device capabilities for sharing before determining that the mobile computing device is proximately located to the second computing device.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to receive user input selecting the first set of device capabilities for sharing after determining that the mobile computing device is proximately located to the second computing device, and wherein the selected first set of device capabilities to share is specific to the persistent, long-range communication session with the second computing device.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the persistent, long-range communication session comprises a two-way sharing communication session between the mobile computing device and the second computing device, and wherein said sharing comprises:

persistently transmitting data to the second computing device over a first time period, the transmitted data corresponding to a first device capability out of the first set of device capabilities; and

persistently receiving data from the second computing device over the first time period, the received data corresponding to a second device capability out of the second set of device capabilities.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the mobile computing device to:

receive user input authorizing one-way sharing of device capabilities with the second computing device but not authorizing two-way sharing of device capabilities with the second computing device, and wherein the sharing comprises a one-way sharing session of device capabilities in accordance with the user input.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the mobile computing device to:

determine that the mobile computing device is located proximate to the third computing device;

transmit the first set of device capabilities to the third computing device;

receive a third set of device capabilities from the third computing device; and

establish a second persistent, long-range communication session with the third computing device,

wherein said sharing comprises sharing, during a same time period, one or more device capabilities with the second computing device using the persistent, long-range communication session and sharing one or more additional device capabilities with the third computing device using the second persistent, long-range communication session.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein transmitting the first set of device capabilities to the second computing device comprises transmitting data identifying one or more input or output functional capabilities of the mobile computing device, including at least one of:

data identifying a number of display screens on the mobile computing device;

data identifying a size of a display screen of the mobile computing device;

data identifying a touch screen capability of the mobile computing device;

data identifying a peripheral input or output device connected to the mobile computing device;

data identifying a video display capability of the mobile computing device;

data identifying a camera capability of the mobile computing device, data identifying a microphone capability of the mobile computing device, or data identifying a speech recognition capability of the mobile computing device.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 15, wherein transmitting the first set of device capabilities to the second computing device comprises transmitting data identifying one or more application sessions executing at the mobile computing device, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile computing device to:

determine that the one or more application sessions have been started at the second computing device; and

terminate the one or more application sessions at the mobile computing device.

23. A method comprising:

determining, by a first mobile computing device, that the first mobile computing device is located proximate to a second computing device;

establishing, by the first mobile computing device, a near-field communication session with the second computing device, wherein the near-field communication session transmits communications via an electromagnetic field;

transmitting, by the first mobile computing device and via the near-field communication session, a first set of device capabilities to the second computing device;

receiving, by the first mobile computing device and via the near-field communication session, a second set of device capabilities from the second computing device;

establishing, by the first mobile computing device and using the near-field communication session, a persistent, long-range communication session with the second computing device;

sharing, by the first mobile computing device, at least one of the first set of device capabilities or the second set of device capabilities with the second computing device, via the persistent, long-range communication session;

receiving, at the first mobile computing device, user input from the second computing device over the persistent, long-range communication session;

modifying, at the first mobile computing device, the received user input by converting the user input according to the first set of device capabilities, wherein said conversion comprises at least one of;

converting touch events to mouse events or vice versa;

converting touch events to keyboard events or vice versa;

or converting motion or orientation events to touch events or vice versa;

designating a third computing device to output data received from one or more of the first mobile computing device or the second computing device; and

causing, based on the designation, the third computing device to drop input received from a user at the third computing device;

wherein, utilization of a device capability shared by the first mobile computing device with the second computing device uses only information local to the first mobile computing device at the time of requested sharing.