Method and system for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session

• US 20030177172A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Panasyuk, Anatoliy, Robinson, David, Laborczfalvi, Lee, Duursma, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

In one aspect the invention relates to a method for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session. The method includes monitoring output produced by an application program executing on a server, identifying a bitmap representation within the output produced by the application program and determining a check value for the bitmap representation. The method also includes retrieving a compressed data format of the bitmap representation based at least in part on the check value and transmitting to the remote terminal session the compressed data format in place of the bitmap representation.

Claims

1. A method for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the method comprising:

monitoring output produced by an application program executing on a server;

identifying a textual element and a non-textual element of the output;

retrieving a compressed data format associated with the non-textual element; and

transmitting to the remote terminal session the textual element and the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the compressed data format and the textual element; and

generating a display using the textual element and the compressed data format.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the compressed data format and the textual element using a presentation layer protocol packet.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the presentation layer protocol packet using a command for transmitting a file in its native format.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises conforming the presentation layer protocol packet to a remote access protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-textual element is a bitmap representation and wherein the step of transmitting further comprises replacing the bitmap representation with the compressed data format.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the remote terminal session can render the non-textual element using the compressed data format.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising, upon determination that the remote terminal session cannot render the non-textual element using the compressed data format, transmitting an image-rendering library capable of rendering the non-textual element using the compressed data format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring further comprises:

intercepting the output; and

inspecting the intercepted output for a bitmap representation of the non-textual element.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of retrieving further comprises:

calculating a first check value for a bitmap representation of the non-textual element; and

searching an image store for the compressed data format with a second check value identical to the first check value.

11. A method for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the method comprising:

monitoring output produced by an application program executing on a server;

identifying a bitmap representation within the output produced by the application program;

determining a check value for the bitmap representation;

retrieving a compressed data format of the bitmap representation based at least in part on the check value; and

transmitting to the remote terminal session the compressed data format in place of the bitmap representation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a command associated with the bitmap representation within the output produced by the application program; and

transmitting to the remote terminal session the command along with the compressed data format.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving the compressed data format and the command;

decompressing the compressed data format to generate the bitmap representation; and

generating a display using the bitmap representation and the command.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting, using a presentation layer protocol packet, the compressed data format and a command associated with displaying the bitmap representation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the presentation layer protocol packet using a protocol command established for transmitting a file in its compressed data format.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises conforming the presentation layer protocol packet to a presentation protocol.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining whether the remote terminal session can render the bitmap representation using the compressed data format.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, upon determination that the remote terminal session cannot render the bitmap representation using the compressed data format, transmitting an image-rendering library capable of rendering the bitmap representation using the compressed data format.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of monitoring further comprises:

intercepting the output; and

inspecting the intercepted output for a bitmap representation of one or more non-textual elements.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining further comprises:

calculating a CRC based on the bitmap representation; and

using the calculated CRC as the check value.

21. A system for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the system comprising:

an output filter module configured to monitor output produced by an application program, identify a textual element and a non-textual element of the output and retrieve a compressed data format associated with the non-textual element; and

a server agent configured to transmit to the remote terminal session the textual element and the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a server node, the server node including the server agent and the output filter module.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

a client agent configured to receive the compressed data format and the textual element and to generate a display of the textual element and non-textual element using the received compressed data format and the textual element.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a client node, the client node including the client agent and a display.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the server agent is further configured to transmit the compressed data format and the textual element using a presentation layer protocol packet.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the server agent is further configured to include a command in the presentation layer protocol packet for transmitting the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the server agent is further configured to conform to a thin client protocol.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the non-textual element is a bitmap representation.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the output monitor module is further configured to determine whether the remote terminal session can render the non-textual element using the compressed data format.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the server agent is further configured to transmit, upon determination the remote terminal session cannot render the non-textual element using the compressed data format, an image-rendering library capable of rendering the non-textual element using the compressed data format.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein the output filter module is further configured to intercept the output and inspect the intercepted output for a bitmap representation of one or more non-textual elements.

32. A system for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the system comprising:

a network;

a server in communication with the network, the server including,

an output filter module configured to monitor output produced by an application program, identify a textual element and a non-textual element of the output and retrieve a compressed data format associated with the non-textual element; and

a server agent in communication with the output filter module, the server agent configured to transmit to the remote terminal session the textual element and the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element; and

a client in communication with the network, the client including,

a client agent in communication with the server agent, the client agent configured to receive the compressed data format and the textual element and to generate a display of the textual element and non-textual element using the received compressed data format and the textual element

33. An article of manufacture having computer-readable program means embodied therein for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the article comprising:

computer-readable program means for monitoring output produced by an application program executing on a server;

computer-readable program means for identifying a textual element and a non-textual element of the output;

computer-readable program means for retrieving a compressed data format associated with the non-textual element; and

computer-readable program means for transmitting to the remote terminal session the textual element and the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element.

34. An article of manufacture having computer-readable program means embodied therein for generating a graphical display for a remote terminal session, the article comprising:

computer-readable program means for monitoring output produced by an application program executing on a server;

computer-readable program means for identifying a bitmap representation within the output produced by the application program;

computer-readable program means for determining a check value for the bitmap representation;

computer-readable program means for retrieving a compressed data format of the bitmap representation based at least in part on the check value; and

computer-readable program means for transmitting to the remote terminal session the compressed data format in place of the bitmap representation.