Thin Client System

• US 20070268824A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kodaka, Hiroshi, Kakiuchi, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

In a thin client system which provides a high-quality picture reproduction method and which makes it possible to use a thin client terminal as a TeleVision (TV) phone terminal and a TV conference terminal, a video reproducing module is disposed in a thin client server device and a graphics module is disposed in a thin client terminal. The thin client server device sets a transmission color to a video display area of screen data and sends the screen data via a remote control communication path and simultaneously sends video data via a second route. The thin client terminal receives the screen data and the video data and displays the screen and video data as an overlay image in one same screen using the screen overlay scheme.

Claims

1. A thin client system, comprising:

a client server device for managing data and a data generation program;

a client terminal capable of conducting remote control for the client server device; and

a network for coupling the client terminal with the client server device, wherein;

the client server device comprises

means for generating, according to the remote control from the client terminal, application screen data including a video display area in which a transmission color is set,

screen data transmitting means including a remote control module for transmitting the application screen data via the network to the client server device; and

video transmitting means for transmitting a video displayed on the video display area, via the network to the client terminal;

the client terminal comprises

screen data receiving means including a remote control module for conducting remote control for the client server device and receiving the application screen data sent from the client server device;

video receiving means for receiving he video; and

graphics means for displaying the screen data and the video as one screen, and

the client server device transmits the screen data via a first communication path including the remote control module and the network to the client terminal and transmits the video to the client terminal via a second communication path which is different from the first communication path and which includes the network, but does not include the remote control module; and

the client terminal for receives the screen data and the video from the mutually different communication paths and displays the screen data and the video in an overlay screen image using a screen overlay scheme.

2. A thin client system according to claim 1, wherein the video transmitting means conducts compression processing for the application screen data excepting the video display area and thereby making it possible for the client terminal display the video display area with higher picture quality.

3. A client terminal capable of conducting remote control for a client server device for managing data and a data generation program, comprising:

remote control means for conducting remote control via the network for a client server device;

screen data receiving means for receiving application screen data including a video display area in which a transmission color is set, the data being transmitted from the client server device via a remote control communication path including the network and the remote control means;

video receiving means for receiving a video from a particular video distribution device connected to a network controllable by the client server device, the video being transmitted via a non-remote-control communication path which is different from the remote control communication path and which does not include the remote control module; and

graphic means for displaying the screen data and the video as a screen overlay image on display means.

4. A client terminal according to claim 3, wherein the graphic means conducts an overlay display operation to display an overlay screen image including the screen data and the video from the client server device by using a screen overlay scheme.

5. A client server device for managing data and a data generation program, comprising:

means for generating, according to remote control from a client terminal, application screen data including a video display area in which a transmission color is set;

means for distributing the application screen data via a remote control communication path including a network coupling the client server device with the client terminal and remote control means for conducting remote control for the server device from the terminal; and

video transmitting means for transmitting a video to be displayed in an overlay image onto the screen data to the client terminal via a non-remote-control communication path different from the remote control communication path.

6. A method of transmitting application screen data and a video generated by a client server device for managing data and a data generation program via a remote control communication path including a remote control module and a network to a client terminal capable of conducting remote control for the client server device, comprising the steps of:

comparing the application screen data transmitted via the remote control communication path from the client server device with application data to be transmitted and for thereby determining whether or not a change exists in the application screen data and the application data;

registering, if a change exists in the screen data, differential data of the screen data to a memory module;

conducting subtractive color operation and compressing operation for the differential data thus registered;

transmitting the data resultant from the subtractive color operation and the compressing operation via the remote control communication path to the client terminal;

setting a video display area in which the video is displayed on the client terminal;

setting a transmission color to the video display area;

transmitting the video display area and the transmission color via the remote control communication path to the client terminal;

transmitting the video display area to which the transmission color is set, via the remote control communication path including the remote control module to the client terminal; and

transmitting the video via a communication path other than the remote control communication path to the client terminal.

7. A screen data and video transmission method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

dividing the screen data into a plurality of blocks; and

determining whether or not each of the blocks includes differential data.

8. A screen data and video receiving and displaying method of receiving and displaying application screen data and a video generated by a client server device for managing data and a data generation program, by a client terminal capable of conducting remote control for the client server device via a communication path including a remote control module and a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the client server device differential data between the application screen data transmitted via the remote control communication path and application data to be transmitted;

writing, in a display memory, the differential data as data to be displayed on a display;

receiving, via the remote control communication path, a video display area set by the client server device and a transmission color set to the video display area by the client server device;

receiving a video which is obtained through an encoding operation by the client server device and of which a format is converted into a predetermined format by the client server device, via a communication path other than the remote control communication path;

decoding the video received in the video receiving step to produce a decoded video and conducting predetermined display processing for the decoded video;

writing, in the display memory, the video for which the display processing is conducted; and

displaying the screen data and the video written in the display memory as an overlay image on a display.

9. A screen data and video receiving and displaying method according to claim 8, wherein:

the memory is a Video Random Access Memory (VRAM); and

the screen data and the video are displayed in an overlay image using a screen overlay scheme.