Method and system for providing remote access to a state of an application program

• US 20100131591A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Monroe M., McFadzean, David B., Scherger, Derek, Beauregard, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A method and system for providing remote access to a state of an application is provided. The method comprises executing an application program at a server computer for performing an application associated therewith. At a client computer connected to the server computer via a communication network a remote access program is executed for providing remote access to a state of the performed application. At the client computer a client difference program having encoded data indicative of a change of a state of the application last received from the server computer is generated and transmitted to the server computer. At the server computer the client difference program is executed for determining an updated state of the application and a server difference program having encoded a difference between the updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the client computer is generated. The server difference program is then transmitted to the client computer and at the client executed for updating the state of the application last received from the server computer. Display data indicative of the updated state of the application last received from the server computer are generated and displayed in a human comprehensible fashion on a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) at a server computer, executing an application program for performing an application associated therewith;

b) at a client computer connected to the server computer via a communication network, executing a remote access program for providing remote access to a state of the performed application;

c) at the client computer, generating a client difference program having encoded data indicative of a change of a state of the application last received from the server computer;

d) transmitting the client difference program to the server computer;

e) at the server computer, executing the client difference program for determining an updated state of the application and generating a server difference program having encoded a difference between the updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the client computer;

f) transmitting the server difference program to the client computer; and

,

g) at the client computer, executing the server difference program for updating the state of the application last received from the server computer.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the client computer, storing in memory thereof client server data indicative of the state of the application last received from the server computer and client data indicative of the state of the application after client interaction.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein c) comprises encoding a difference between the state of the application after client interaction and the state of the application last received from the server.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 comprising:

at the server computer, storing in memory thereof server data indicative of a server state of the application and server client data indicative of the state of the application last sent to the client.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein e) comprises:

determining second server client data by executing the client difference program on the server client data;

determining updated server data by executing the client difference program on the server data;

generating a server difference program that encodes a difference between the updated server data and the second server client data;

determining third server client data by executing the server difference program on the second server client data; and

,

replacing the server client data with the third server client data.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein g) comprises:

determining second client server data by executing the server difference program on the client server data;

determining second client data by executing the server difference program on the client data;

replacing the client server data with the second client server data; and

,

replacing the client data with the second client data.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the server computer, storing in memory thereof server data indicative of a server state of the application and server client data indicative of the state of the application last sent to the client as a server application state program; and

,

wherein e) comprises;

determining updated server data by executing the client difference program on the server data; and

,

generating a server difference program that encodes a difference between the updated server data and the server client data; and

,

wherein g) comprises;

generating display data indicative of the updated state of the application last received from the server computer; and

,

displaying the display data in a human comprehensible fashion.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 comprising:

at the server computer, generating a server application state program having encoded data indicative of the server state of the application;

transmitting the server application state program to the client computer;

at the client computer, executing the server application state program for determining the server state of the application;

generating display data indicative of the updated state of the server state of the application; and

,

displaying the display data in a human comprehensible fashion.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the client computer, generating display data indicative of the updated state of the application last received from the server computer; and

,

displaying the display data in a human comprehensible fashion.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the server computer, executing a second client difference program received from a second client computer for determining a second updated state of the application and generating a second server difference program having encoded a difference between the second updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the second client computer;

transmitting the second server difference program to the second client computer; and

,

at the second client computer, executing the second server difference program for updating the state of the application last received from the server computer.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 comprising:

at the server computer, generating a third server difference program having encoded a difference between the second updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the client computer;

transmitting the third server difference program to the client computer; and

,

at the client computer, executing the third server difference program for updating the state of the application last received from the server computer.

12. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the client computer, receiving from a user interface connected thereto the data indicative of the change of the state of the application.

13. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the encoded data are indicative of:

a path to the change in the state of the application;

a type of the change; and

a value of the change.

14. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the difference programs comprise executable commands for execution by a processor.

15. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising executing the application program in dependence upon the executed client difference program for determining the updated state of the application.

16. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising executing a remote server access program, the remote server access program for:

executing the client difference program;

communicating with the application program for determining the updated state of the application; and

generating the server difference program.

17. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the remote access program enables access limited to a predetermined portion of the state of the application.

18. A method as defined in claim 1 comprising:

at the server computer, generating a server application state program having encoded data indicative of the state of the application;

transmitting the server application state program to the client computer; and

,

at the client computer, executing the server application state program for determining the server state of the application.

19. A storage medium having stored therein executable commands for execution on a processor of a client computer, the processor when executing the commands providing remote access to an application performed on a server computer connected thereto, the processor performing:

generating a client difference program having encoded data indicative of a change of a state of the application last received from a server computer;

transmitting the client difference program to the server computer;

receiving from the server computer a server difference program; and

,

executing the server difference program for updating the state of the application last received from the server computer.

20. A storage medium having stored therein executable commands for execution on a processor of a server computer, the processor when executing the commands providing remote access to an application performed on the server computer to a client computer connected thereto, the processor performing:

receiving from the client computer a client difference program having encoded data indicative of a change of a state of the application last received from a server computer;

executing the client difference program for determining an updated state of the application and generating a server difference program having encoded a difference between the updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the client computer; and

,

transmitting the server difference program to the client computer.