Method and apparatus for controlling a computer over a wide area network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for remotely controlling a computer comprising:
- a network;
a client computer coupled to said network, said client computer having a monitor, a keyboard, and a pointing device, said client computer running a browser program displaying a browser window on said monitor and further being capable of running a client program means in conjunction with said browser program that is delivered over said network;
a host computer coupled to said network and being accessible by said client computer using said browser program, said host computer running a program means that is responsive to inputs of said client computer as transmitted to said host computer over said network from said client computer, said host program means transmitting image updates to said client computer over said network to affect an image displayed in said browser window of said client computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention permits virtually the entire functionality of a computer system to be made accessible over a network such as the Internet or an Intranet. More particularly, the present invention permits a computer system to be run as a “virtual machine” through a web page provided at a web site on the World Wide Web (WWW). The apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of computers arranged in a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet or an Intranet. At least one of the computers has at least one unique address designating a web site. A host computer system (which may or may not be one of the computers on the Internet) can be “posted” onto an “advertising” web page at the web site to permit other computers coupled to the Internet to interact directly with the host computer system. The computer “posted” on the web page is referred to as the “host” or “advertiser” computer, and computers accessing the host computer are referred to as “client” or “user” computers. Having the host computer posted on a web page creates a “virtual computer” that can be view and/or controlled by the client computers. Once the connection has been made between the host computer and one or more client computers, the web page is bypassed, i.e. the two or more computer systems communicate through the Internet without necessarily going through the web site supporting the “advertising” web page.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for remotely controlling a computer comprising:
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a network;
a client computer coupled to said network, said client computer having a monitor, a keyboard, and a pointing device, said client computer running a browser program displaying a browser window on said monitor and further being capable of running a client program means in conjunction with said browser program that is delivered over said network;
a host computer coupled to said network and being accessible by said client computer using said browser program, said host computer running a program means that is responsive to inputs of said client computer as transmitted to said host computer over said network from said client computer, said host program means transmitting image updates to said client computer over said network to affect an image displayed in said browser window of said client computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method permitting the remote control of a host computer comprising:
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providing a client program to a client computer connected to a network and running a browser program having a browse window, said client program permitting said client computer to at control and view image outputs of a host computer also connected to said network;
receiving at said host computer over said network remote computer control information produced in response to the manipulation of least one of a keyboard and a pointing device of said client computer; and
detecting changes in said image outputs of said host computer and transmitting image updates corresponding to said changes to said client computer for use by said client program to provide corresponding images in said browser window, where said image outputs can be affected by said remote computer control information sent from said client computer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling a computer over a network comprising:
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providing a computer network;
coupling a host computer means to the network for intercepting and sending visual output data of said host computer means onto the network;
coupling a client computer to the network, said client computer having a monitor capable of displaying images and an input device capable of generating input device events, said client computer running a browser program displaying a browser window on said monitor; and
controlling said host computer with said client computer over said network, such that said input device events of said client computer can be acted upon by said host computer, and such that display information of said host computer can be viewed within said browser window said client computer.
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Specification