In-line video, keyboard and mouse remote management unit

• US 20040222944A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Sivertsen, Clas G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods and devices provide for remote management of a local computer by transferring screen frames produced by the local computer for viewing at a remote computer. A digital video signal from a local computer may be duplicated and scaled so that screen frame data corresponding to the screen frames produced by the local computer is passed through a network, such as the Internet, to the remote computer where the remote computer produces a display that contains the screen frames being transferred.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining screen displays of a local computer and providing them to a remote computer over a network, comprising:

receiving a digital video signal representing screen frames of the local computer via a digital video interface (“

DVI”

) input connection at a first DVI receiver;

at the first DVI receiver, creating a first digital red-green-blue (“

RGB”

) signal from the received digital video signal;

grabbing and storing a screen frame from the digital RGB signal;

transmitting data related to the stored screen frame through a network interface; and

providing the first digital RGB signal to a DVI transmitter, creating a duplication of the digital video signal from the first digital RGB signal at the DVI transmitter, and transmitting the duplication via a DVI output connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data related to the stored screen frame comprises transmitting all of the data representing the screen frame.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting differences between the stored screen frame and a previously stored screen frame, and wherein transmitting data related to the stored screen frame comprises transmitting data representing the differences.

4. A method for obtaining screen displays of a local computer and providing them to a remote computer over a network, comprising:

receiving a digital video signal representing screen frames of the local computer via a DVI input connection at a first DVI receiver;

at the first DVI receiver, creating a first digital RGB signal from the received digital video signal;

providing the first digital RGB signal to a first DVI transmitter, creating a first duplication of the digital video signal from the first digital RGB signal at the first DVI transmitter and transmitting the first duplication to a DVI receiver and scaler;

at the DVI receiver and scaler, creating a scaled digital RGB signal from the first duplication;

grabbing and storing a screen frame from the scaled digital RGB signal;

transmitting data related to the stored screen frame through a network interface; and

providing the first digital RGB signal to a second DVI transmitter, creating a second duplication of the digital video signal from the first digital RGB signal at the second DVI transmitter, and transmitting the second duplication via a DVI output connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting data related to the stored screen frame comprises transmitting all of the data representing the screen frame.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising detecting differences between the stored screen frame and a previously stored screen frame, and wherein transmitting data related to the stored screen frame comprises transmitting data representing the differences.

7. An interaction device for obtaining screen displays of a local computer and providing them to a remote computer over a network, comprising:

a DVI input connection that receives a digital video signal;

a DVI receiver that creates a first digital RGB signal from the digital video signal;

a frame grabber that captures screen frame data from the digital RGB signal;

a network interface that provides data related to the screen frame data over the network;

a DVI transmitter that receives the digital RGB signal, creates a duplication of the digital video signal from the digital RGB signal, and transmits the duplication; and

a DVI output connection that outputs the duplication of the digital video signal.

8. The interaction device of claim 7, wherein the network interface provides data related to the stored screen frame by transmitting all of the data representing the screen frame.

9. The interaction device of claim 7, further comprising logic to detect differences between the screen frame and a previously stored screen frame, and wherein the network interface provides data related to the stored screen frame by transmitting data representing the differences.

10. An interaction device for obtaining screen displays of a local computer and providing them to a remote computer over a network, comprising:

a DVI input connection that receives a digital video signal;

a first DVI receiver that creates a first digital RGB signal from the digital video signal;

a first DVI transmitter that receives the digital RGB signal, creates a first duplication of the digital video signal from the digital RGB signal, and transmits the first duplication of the digital video signal;

a DVI receiver and scaler that receives the first duplication of the digital video signal, scales the digital video signal, and creates a scaled digital RGB signal;

a frame grabber that captures screen frame data from the scaled digital RGB signal;

a network interface that provides data related to the screen frame data over the network;

a second DVI transmitter that receives the digital RGB signal, creates a second duplication of the digital video signal from the digital RGB signal, and transmits the second duplication; and

a DVI output connection that outputs the second duplication of the digital video signal.

11. The interaction device of claim 10, wherein the network interface transmits data related to the stored screen frame by transmitting all of the data representing the screen frame.

12. The interaction device of claim 10, further comprising logic to detect differences between the stored screen frame and a previously stored screen frame, and wherein the network interface transmits data related to the stored screen frame by transmitting data representing the differences.