THIN TERMINAL COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE UTILIZING ROAMING KEYBOARD FILES

• US 20090100129A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roaming Keyboards, LLC
• Original Assignee: Roaming Keyboards, LLC
• Inventors: Vigil, Jose Manuel, Franz, Fabian
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A thin client server system including a client server configured to transfer at least one roaming keyboard file to at least one thin client terminal is described. The thin client terminal includes a touch-sensitive interface, session layout module and a client processing module. The session layout module generates a selection configuration for selecting the type of interaction with the client server system. The client processing module applies the at least one roaming keyboard file and to dynamically generate, input sub-modules for receiving communication from at least one user and an output sub-module for generating output to at least one user. The generated input sub-module including, a virtual keyboard sub-module, and a pointer-pad sub-module and the generated output sub-module including a virtual screen sub-module for generating output to at least one user, wherein the client sever allows modular collaboration while multiplexing input and output message between sub-modules.

Claims

1. A thin client server system comprising, a client server configured to transfer at least one roaming keyboard file to at least one thin client terminal, the thin client terminal comprised of a touch-sensitive interface, a session layout module configured to generate a selection configuration for selecting the type of interaction with the client server system, and a client processing module configured to apply the at least one roaming keyboard file and to dynamically generate, input sub-modules for receiving communication from at least one user, and an output sub-module for generating output to at least one user, the generated input sub-module including, a virtual keyboard sub-module, and a pointer-pad sub-module, the generated output sub-module including a virtual screen sub-module for generating output to at least one user, wherein the client sever is configured to allow modular collaboration while multiplexing input and output message between sub-modules.

2. The thin client server system of claim 1, wherein the thin client terminal is one of a single touch-sensitive interface and a multi touch-sensitive interface.

3. The thin client server system of claim 1, wherein the pointer-pad sub-module configured to provide a multipoint interactive tool, the multi-point interactive tool providing a new pointer on each pointer-pad sub-module utilized within the client processing module, the multi-pointer tool configured to receive a gesture input, the multipoint interactive tool supported by a multipoint module located at the client server.

4. The thin client server system of claim 1, wherein the virtual keyboard sub-module is one of a player object and a virtual machine object, the virtual keyboard sub-module configured to receive a gesture input, the player object and a virtual machine object embedded into the client processing module.

5. The client server system of claim 1, wherein the selection configuration is selected from the group consisting of the session layout module, the session layout module including a session layout administrator form associated with a computer device including, a user interface component for navigating session layout configurations ordered by one of name, a description of the session layout configuration, thumbnail images ordered by thin client terminals providing visual information about the layout and design of the input and the output sub-module rendering roaming keyboard files, zooming tools for zooming into the thumbnails to visualize the user interface files in detail, a text name of each terminal where the roaming keyboard files will be downloaded, the name of the MAC address, an UT component for choosing the Operating System running in the session, an UT component for navigating and visualizing the application or group of applications running in the session layout configuration, and an engage button to start operating with the selected session layout configuration.

6. The thin client server system of claim 1, wherein the client server is associated with a relational database, the relational database stores standard session information including one of session name, display area, and applications running for each session, user interface information stored by a means of the said roaming keyboard files location including binary data, hardware information stored as thin client terminals address hardware setup and miscellaneous information about the group or entity utilizing the system.

7. The client server system of claim 6, wherein the relational database is configured to store a suspended session, the suspended session stored into the relational database under a given name in order to identify it later while resuming, the stored suspended session supports the selected information previously selected at the session layout module.

8. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the sub-modules are configured to change size, position and behaviour.

9. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein further comprising an UT component located into an input sub-module configured to add one or more new terminal to the ongoing session by means of an invoke terminal module.

10. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the client server can be located at a home or company providing a private service to the members of a unit or can be located at a facility providing service to the public at large.

11. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the Operating System provided by the client server is one of a Linux Operating System and a Microsoft Windows Operating System.

12. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the client processing module is stored in one of a flash drive, a disk on module DOM, downloaded over the network at boot-up, compiled as a setup installation file to be installed and run as software program into thick computers running Windows, Linux and MAC operating system.

13. The thin client system of claim 1, further comprising a session layout designer module configured to create and manage session layout templates, the session layout designer module permits manipulation of the properties and parameters of the client processing modules and input/output sub-modules, the session layout designer module permitting the composing of roaming keyboard files, the session layout designer module capable of storing the layout information in a session layout file format, session layout designer module capable of connecting to the client server relational database and perform queries, updates and inserts.

14. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the client server can be accessed by a web server, the web server receiving at least one web browser connection, a web browser located on at least one thin client terminal or on at least one thick computer downloads, frames and executes the roaming keyboard files, the said files modified to be executed by means of web page codes and tools such as applets and browser plug-ins, the roaming keyboard files modified to provide an output sub-module with a virtual machine object or a player object, both objects embedded into the client processing module known as interface module.

15. The thin client system of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive interface provided in at least one thin client terminal has tactile feedback, the tactile feedback of the sensitive interface capable of adjusting to the use of roaming keyboard files and the modular system of the present invention.

16. 1 The thin client system of claim 1, wherein a thin client terminal equipped with the same hardware but without a touch-sensitive interface is also configured to act as bridge terminal to be plugged into wider screen devices and projectors to integrate them into the system invention as pure output devices, the bridge terminal containing video connectors for visualizing the output received through the WIFI network.

17. The Operating System provided by the client server of claim 11, wherein an automation module located at the Linux Operating System or at the Microsoft Windows Operating System is capable of receiving, interpreting, and executing commands for controlling thin applications, the commands triggered from the sub-modules located on at least one thin client terminal.

18. A method for generating a virtual keyboard comprising, selecting at least one roaming keyboard file from a session layout module configured for selecting the type of interaction with the client server system, transferring at least one roaming keyboard file from a client server to at least one thin client terminal comprised of a touch-sensitive interface, dynamically generating of a virtual keyboard by applying at least one of the selected roaming keyboard file in a client processing module, the client processing module including an input sub-module for receiving information receiving communication from at least one user and an output sub-module for generating an output to at least one user.

19. The method for generating virtual keyboard of claim 18, wherein once the sub-modules are created, at least one user can operate the at least one thin client terminal, the at least one user provides input into the input sub-modules, the provided input is then transformed into an input message, the input message containing command information to control the remote application, the input message is handled by the client processing module and sent to the client server through the network, the client server receives the input message, the client server runs the command contained into the input message controlling and affecting the remote application by means of an automation module running at an Operating System level, the input message is transformed into output message, the output message is then multiplexed and sent from the client server through the network to the thin client terminal into the user interface module containing the output sub-module, the at least one user then visualizes the output message on the output sub-module as the result of the provided input into the input sub-module, the at least one thin client terminal running in module collaboration.

20. A means for generating a virtual keyboard comprising, a means for selecting at least one roaming keyboard file from a session layout module configured for selecting the type of interaction with the client server system, a means for transferring at least one roaming keyboard file from a client server to at least one thin client terminal comprised of a touch-sensitive interface, a means for dynamically generating of a virtual keyboard on at least one user interface module by applying at least one of the selected roaming keyboard file in a client processing module, the client processing module including an input sub-module for receiving information receiving communication from at least one user and an output sub-module for generating an output to at least one user.