Shell Integration for an Application Executing Remotely on a Server

• US 20120296959A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momchilov, Georgy, Mir, Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The methods and systems described herein are directed to providing shell integration for an application executing remotely on a server. By providing shell integration for the application executing on the server, the system provides a seamless user experience, in which a user perceives minor or no differences between applications executing locally and those executing remotely. New usability enhancements in operating systems, such as Destination Lists (a.k.a. Jump Lists), Thumbnail Toolbars, Overlay Icons, Progress Bars, and integration of web sites with the Shell (IE9), may work only in a local OS environment and fail to integrate at all in a remote environment. One of the goals of the invention is to integrate these Shell capabilities and achieve a unified desktop experience for the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a local computing device, a destination list from a remote computing device, said destination list corresponding to an application executing on the remote computing device;

instantiating, at the local computing device, a stub executable program based on the corresponding application executing on a remote computing device; and

associating the destination list with the stub executable program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting for display a user interface comprising the destination list;

intercepting, at the client device, user input selecting an item on the destination list corresponding to an item in the destination list received from the remote computing device; and

sending the intercepted input to the remote computing device for delivery to the application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a local destination list corresponding to the received destination list, wherein said local destination list comprises at least one user selectable item not in the received destination list; and

outputting for display a combined destination list based on the received destination list and the local destination list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein outputting for display the combined destination list comprises displaying predetermined indicia on all list elements associated with the received destination list that are not also on the local destination list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating is based on an application identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising assigning, at the local computing device, a same application identifier as the application to the stub executable program.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an updated destination list from the remote computing device; and

updating the output destination list based on the received updated destination list.

8. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a local computing device to perform:

receiving at the local computing device, a destination list from a remote computing device, said destination list corresponding to an application executing on the remote computing device;

instantiating, at the local computing device, a stub executable program based on the corresponding application executing on a remote computing device; and

associating the destination list with the stub executable program.

9. The computer readable media of claim 8, said media further comprising instructions for:

outputting for display a user interface comprising the destination list;

intercepting, at the client device, user input selecting an item on the destination list corresponding to an item in the destination list received from the remote computing device; and

sending the intercepted input to the remote computing device for delivery to the application.

10. The computer readable media of claim 9, said media further comprising instructions for:

generating a local destination list corresponding to the received destination list, wherein said local destination list comprises at least one user selectable item not in the received destination list; and

outputting for display a combined destination list based on the received destination list and the local destination list.

11. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the associating is based on an application identifier.

12. The computer readable media of claim 11, said media further comprising instructions for assigning, at the local computing device, a same application identifier as the application to the stub executable program.

13. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the application is a web browser, and wherein said received destination list corresponds to a web site received by the web browser.:

14. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause a local computing device to configure and output for display a graphical user interface comprising a taskbar icon corresponding to both a first application executing on the local computing device and a second application executing on a remote computing device, wherein said graphical user interface is configured, upon receiving first user input associated with the taskbar icon, to display a destination list comprising at least one list item corresponding to a destination on the local computing device and at least one destination list item corresponding to a destination on the remote computing device.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the destination list comprise a first discrete section comprising all list items corresponding to the local computing device, and a second discrete section comprising all list items corresponding to the remote computing device, wherein the first discrete section displays the at least one list item corresponding to the document stored on the local computing device and the second discrete section display the at least one destination list item corresponding to the document stored on the remote computing device.

16. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display an overlay icon with each destination list item corresponding the remote computing device.

17. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein said graphical user interface is further configured to display an overlay icon with the taskbar icon.

18. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display a second taskbar icon having a progress indication corresponding to the remote computing device.

19. The computer readable media of claim 18, wherein said progress indication comprises a first color when the progress is not in a first state, and second color when the progress is in a second state.

20. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the at least one destination list item corresponding to a destination on the remote computing device comprises a thumbnail toolbar item.