Systems and methods for transferring data between computing devices

• US 20070157101A1
• Filed: 01/04/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOTO Group Incorporated (LogMeIn, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Green, Brian, Piasecki, Derek, Indiran, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Systems and methods for extending the drag-and-drop data transfer mechanism to the remote access environment are described. The extension allows the end-user to select data located on the remote host or the local viewer, drag the selected data to a window on the host or viewer, and drop the selected data in the window. In response, the data is transferred via a network connecting the viewer and the host without any further input from the end-user.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data from a viewer computing device to a host computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewer computing device, user input indicating selection of data stored by the viewer computing device;

(b) receiving, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into a portion of a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device; and

(c) transferring the selected data from the, viewer computing device to the host computing device in response to step (b).

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting the format of the selected data prior to transferring the selected data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring comprises transferring the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the viewer computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the window is a graphical representation of a drag-and-drop target and wherein the transferring comprises streaming the selected data from the viewer computing device to the drag-and-drop target on the host computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring occurs when the host computing device requests the data from the viewer computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the host computing device requests the data from a drop source of host computing device, the drop source requesting the data from viewer computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the host computing device requests the data from a drop source window of host computing device, the drop source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the viewer computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the host computing device and the viewer computing device communicate via the Internet.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is a file.

12. A method of transferring data from a host computing device to a viewer computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewer computing device, user input indicating selection of data stored by the host computing device;

(b) receiving, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into a window associated with the viewing computing device; and

(c) receiving the selected data from the host computing device in response to step (b).

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising converting the format of the selected data prior to receiving the selected data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving comprises receiving the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the host computing device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the window associated with the viewer computing device is a graphical representation of a drag-and-drop target and wherein the receiving comprises receiving a stream of the selected data by the drag-and-drop target of the viewer computing device from the host computing device.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving occurs when the viewer computing device requests the data from the host computing device.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the viewer computing device requests the data from a drop source of viewer computing device, the drop source requesting the data from host computing device.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the viewer computing device requests the data from a drop source window of viewer computing device, the viewer source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the host computing device.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the host computing device and the viewer computing device communicate via the Internet.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the data is a file.

23. A method of transferring data from a viewer computing device to a host computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the method comprising:

(a) registering at least a portion of a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device as a drop target;

(b) receiving, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewing computing device, selection of data stored on the viewing computing device;

(c) receiving, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped onto the registered drop target; and

(d) transferring the dropped data to the host computing device in response to step (c).

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising converting the format of the selected data prior to transferring the selected data.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the transferring comprises transferring the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the viewer computing device.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the transferring comprises streaming the selected data from the viewer computing device to the drop target on the host computing device.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the transferring occurs when the host computing device requests the data from the viewer computing device.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the host computing device requests the data from a drop source of host computing device, the drop source requesting the data from viewer computing device.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the host computing device requests the data from a drop source window of host computing device, the drop source window requesting the data from the drop target window of the viewer computing device.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the host computing device and the viewer computing device communicate via the Internet.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the data is a file.

26. The method of claim 26 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

34. A method of transferring data from a host computing device to a viewer computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewing computing device, selection data stored on the host computing device;

(b) registering a window created on the viewer computing device as a drop target;

(c) registering at least a portion of the window displaying the representation of the screen display of host computing device as a drop source;

(d) receiving, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into another window of the viewer computing device; and

(e) transferring the selected data to the viewer computing device in response to step (d).

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising converting the format of the selected data prior to receiving the selected data.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the transferring comprises receiving the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by the drop source of the host computing device.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the transferring comprises streaming the selected data to the drop target of the viewer computing device from the drop source of the host computing device.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the transferring occurs when the viewer computing device requests the data from the host computing device.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the viewer computing device requests the data from the drop source of viewer computing device, the drop source requesting the data from host computing device.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein the viewer computing device requests the data from the drop source window of viewer computing device, the viewer source window requesting the data from the drop target window of the host computing device.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

43. The method of claim 34 wherein the host computing device and the viewer computing device communicate via the Internet.

44. The method of claim 34 wherein the data is a file.

37. The method of claim 37 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

45. A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to cause a transfer of data from a viewer computing device to a host computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to receive, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewer computing device, user input indicating selection of data stored by the viewer computing device;

(b) instructions to receive, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into a portion of a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device; and

(c) instructions to transfer the selected data from the viewer computing device to the host computing device in response to the execution of the instructions of (b).

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45 further comprising instructions to convert the format of the selected data prior to transferring the selected data.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 45 wherein the instructions to transfer comprise instructions to transfer the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the viewer computing device.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 47 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 45 wherein the portion of the window is a graphical representation of a drag-and-drop target and wherein instructions to transfer comprise instructions to stream the selected data from the viewer computing device to the drag-and-drop target on the host computing device.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 45 wherein the instructions to transfer are executed when the host computing device requests the data from the viewer computing device.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 45 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device to request the data from a drop source of host computing device, the drop source requesting the data from viewer computing device.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 45 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device to request the data from a drop source window of host computing device, the drop source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the viewer computing device.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 45 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 45 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device and the viewer computing device to communicate via the Internet.

55. The computer readable medium of claim 45 wherein the data is a file.

56. A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to cause a transfer of data from a host computing device to a viewer computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to receive, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewer computing device, user input indicating selection of data stored by the host computing device;

(b) instructions to receive, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into a window associated with the viewing computing device; and

(c) instructions to receive the selected data from the host computing device in response to the execution of instructions of (b).

57. The computer readable medium of claim 56 further comprising instructions to convert the format of the selected data prior to receiving the selected data.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 56 wherein the instructions to receive comprise instructions to receive the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the host computing device.

59. The computer readable medium of claim 58 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

60. The computer readable medium of claim 56 wherein the window associated with the viewer computing device is a graphical representation of a drag-and-drop target and wherein the instructions to receive comprise instructions to receiving a stream of the selected data by the drag-and-drop target of the viewer computing device from the host computing device.

61. The computer readable medium of claim 56 wherein the instructions to receive are executed when the viewer computing device requests the data from the host computing device.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 56 further comprising instructions to cause the viewer computing device to request the data from a drop source of viewer computing device, the drop source requesting the data from host computing device.

63. The computer readable medium of claim 56 further comprising instructions to cause the viewer computing device to request the data from a drop source window of viewer computing device, the viewer source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the host computing device.

64. The computer readable medium of claim 56 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 56 further comprising instructions to cause the host computing device and the viewer computing device to communicate via the Internet.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 56 wherein the data is a file.

67. A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to cause a transfer of data from a viewer computing device to a host computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to register at least a portion of a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device as a drop target;

(b) instructions to receive, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewing computing device, selection of data stored on the viewing computing device;

(c) instructions to receive, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped onto the registered drop target; and

(d) instructions to transfer the dropped data to the host computing device in response to step (c).

68. The computer readable medium of claim 67 further comprising instructions to convert the format of the selected data prior to transferring the selected data.

69. The computer readable medium of claim 67 wherein the instruction to transfer comprise instructions to transfer the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by a drop source of the viewer computing device.

70. The computer readable medium of claim 69 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

71. The computer readable medium of claim 67 wherein the instructions to transfer comprise instructions to stream the selected data from the viewer computing device to the drop target on the host computing device.

72. The computer readable medium of claim 67 wherein the instructions to transfer are executed when the host computing device requests the data from the viewer computing device.

73. The computer readable medium of claim 67 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device to request the data from a drop source of host computing device, the drop source requesting the data from viewer computing device.

74. The computer readable medium of claim 67 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device to request the data from a drop source window of host computing device, the drop source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the viewer computing device.

75. The computer readable medium of claim 67 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

76. The computer readable medium of claim 67 further comprising instruction to cause the host computing device and the viewer computing device to communicate via the Internet.

77. The computer readable medium of claim 67 wherein the data is a file.

78. A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to cause to a transfer data from a host computing device to a viewer computing device using a drag-and-drop operation, the viewer computing device in communication with and located remotely from the host computing device and providing access to the host computing device through a window displaying a representation of the screen display of the host computing device on the viewer computing device, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to receive, via an input device in electrical communication with the viewing computing device, selection data stored on the host computing device;

(b) instructions to register a window created on the viewer computing device as a drop target;

(c) instructions to register at least a portion of the window displaying the representation of the screen display of host computing device as a drop source;

(d) instructions to receive, via the input device, user input indicating that the selected data is dropped into another window of the viewer computing device; and

(e) instructions to transfer the selected data to the viewer computing device in response to step (d).

79. The computer readable medium of claim 78 further comprising instructions to convert the format of the selected data prior to receiving the selected data.

80. The computer readable medium of claim 78 wherein the instructions to transfer comprises instructions to receive the actual selected data associated with a reference to the selected data, the reference to the actual data being supplied by the drop source of the host computing device.

81. The computer readable medium of claim 80 wherein the reference to the selected data is a file path.

82. The computer readable medium of claim 78 wherein the instructions to transfer comprise instructions to stream the selected data to the drop target of the viewer computing device from the drop source of the host computing device.

83. The computer readable medium of claim 78 wherein the instructions to transfer are executed when the viewer computing device requests the data from the host computing device.

84. The computer readable medium of claim 78 further comprising instructions to cause the viewer computing device to request the data from a drop source of viewer computing device, the drop source requesting the data from host computing device.

85. The computer readable medium of claim 78 further comprising instructions to cause the viewer computing device to request the data from a drop source window of viewer computing device, the viewer source window requesting the data from a drop target window of the host computing device.

86. The computer readable medium of claim 78 wherein at least one of the drop source window and drop target window is a hidden window.

87. The computer readable medium of claim 78 further comprising instructions to cause the host computing device and the viewer computing device to communicate via the Internet.

88. The computer readable medium of claim 78 wherein the data is a file.