Orchestration Framework for Connected Devices

• US 20140108506A1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Borzycki, Andrew, Deva, Mallikharjuna Reddy, Roychoudhry, Anil, Gajendar, Uday Nandigam, Bissett, Nick, Bieber, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for interconnecting devices using an orchestration framework are provided herein. An orchestration framework may be provided, and the orchestration framework may interconnect multiple of devices such that the devices are available to share content and computing activities with one another. The orchestration framework may coordinate interactions between the devices that are interconnected with each other through the orchestration framework. A request to share content may be received from one of the devices. The distribution of the content to one or more of the devices may be managed using the orchestration framework. The content may be a file uploaded to a remote data store, content stored at a clipboard that is accessible to the interconnected devices, or a link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an orchestration framework that interconnects a plurality of devices such that the plurality of devices are available to share content and computing activities wherein the orchestration framework coordinates interactions between the plurality of devices when the plurality of devices are interconnected through the orchestration framework;

interconnecting the plurality of devices using the orchestration framework;

receiving, from one of the devices, a request to share content; and

managing distribution of the content to one or more of the plurality of devices using the orchestration framework.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the devices is specified in the request to share the content and further comprising:

sending a notification to the device that is specified in the request using the orchestration framework wherein the notification indicates that the content has been shared with the device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting one of the plurality of devices as a dedicated device to receive content shared having a selected content type;

determining whether a content type of the content shared is the selected content type; and

sending a notification to only the dedicated device using the orchestration framework when the content type of the content shared is the selected content type wherein the notification indicates that the content has been shared.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content shared is a file and further comprising:

including in the request a storage location the file was uploaded to at a data store;

sending a notification to at least one of the plurality of devices using the orchestration framework wherein the notification includes the storage location of the file; and

wherein receipt of the notification at the at least one device enables the at least one device to download the file from the data store using the storage location.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying a file type of the file;

determining which of the plurality of devices includes a native application capable of opening the file;

determining which of the plurality of devices does not include a native application capable of opening the file;

sending the notification to at least one of the devices that includes a native application capable of opening the file; and

sending no notification to any of the devices that do not include a native application capable of opening the file.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

establishing, using the orchestration framework, a virtual environment and configuring the virtual environment with a virtualized application capable of opening the file;

providing the file to the virtualized application at the virtual environment; and

sending an alternative notification using the orchestration framework to at least one of the devices that does not include a native application capable of opening the file;

wherein receipt of the alternative notification causes the at least one device that does not include a native application capable of opening the file to launch a virtual client application and connect to the virtual environment using the virtual client application such that the file is accessible via the virtual application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content shared is a link and further comprising:

sending a notification to at least one of the plurality of devices using the orchestration framework wherein the notification includes the link; and

wherein receipt of the notification at the at least one device causes the at least one device to provide the link to an application capable of handling the link.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the link is a web link for a web site; and

the application capable of handling the link is a web browser.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the content shared is included in the request and further comprising:

storing the content included in the request at a clipboard that is accessible to multiple devices of the plurality of devices; and

sending a notification to at least one of the plurality of devices using the orchestration framework wherein the notification indicates the content is available from the clipboard.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a paste request from one of the plurality of devices; and

providing the content stored at the clipboard to the device the paste request was received from using the orchestration service.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a rule that specifies which of the plurality of devices should receive the content shared; and

sending a notification to only the devices specified in the rule using the orchestration framework wherein the notification indicates the content has been shared.

12. An system comprising:

at least one processor;

an orchestration framework that interconnects a plurality of devices such that the plurality of devices are available to share content and computing activities and that includes a set of server-side orchestration components and a set of client-side orchestration components that coordinate interactions between the plurality of devices when the plurality of devices are interconnected through the orchestration framework;

wherein the server-side orchestration components are configured to reside at an orchestration server and that include

an orchestration service that, in operation, instructs the server-side orchestration components in response to communications received at the orchestration server;

wherein the client-side orchestration components are configured to reside at a client device in communication with the orchestration server and that include

an orchestration agent in communication with the orchestration service that, in operation, instructs the client-side orchestration components in response to input received from a user of the client device and in response to the notifications received at the orchestration agent; and

wherein the orchestration agent further, in operation, submits to the orchestration service a request to share content and, in response to receipt of the request, the orchestration service further, in operation, manages the distribution of the content to one or more of the plurality of devices interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein further comprising:

a notification service as one of the server-side orchestration components wherein the notification service, in operation, sends notifications to the client device in response to instructions received from the orchestration service; and

a notification interface as one of the client-side orchestration components wherein the notification interface, in operation, receives the notifications from the notification service and passes the notifications to the orchestration agent.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein one of the notifications indicates a storage location of a file that has been uploaded to a data store and further comprising:

a remote file interface as one of the client-side orchestration components that, in operation, retrieves the file using the storage location;

an application resolver as one of the client-side orchestration components that, in operation, identifies which application at the client device that is capable of opening the file; and

an application launcher as one of the client-side orchestration components that, in operation, launches at the client device the application capable of opening the file.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

one of the notifications includes a shared link;

the application resolver further, in operation, identifies which application at the client device is capable of handling the shared link; and

the application launcher further, in operation, launches the application capable of handling the shared link.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a clipboard as one of the server-side orchestration components that is accessible to multiple devices of the plurality devices;

wherein one of the notifications indicates that the content shared has been stored at the clipboard; and

wherein the orchestration service further, in operation, provides the content stored at the clipboard in response to receipt of a request from the orchestration agent for the content stored at the clipboard.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a device service as one of the server-side orchestration components wherein the device service, in operation, manages device information related to the set of devices; and

a presence service as one of the client-side orchestration components wherein the presence service, in operation, indicates an availability of the client device to the device service.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause a client device to:

connect to one or more devices using an orchestration agent of an orchestration framework wherein the orchestration framework coordinates interactions between the client device and the one or more devices interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework;

receive a selection of content to share;

submit to an orchestration service of the orchestration framework a request to share the selected content using the orchestration agent; and

wherein receipt of the request at the orchestration service causes the orchestration service to manage the distribution of the content to at least one of the one or more devices interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

display a list of devices using the orchestration agent wherein the list of devices lists devices available for selection as a selected device to receive the content;

wherein the list of devices includes at least one selectable device that is interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework; and

wherein the request to share the content specifies the selected device.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 19 wherein the at least one selectable device that is interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework includes at least one of:

one or more devices associated with an online meeting a user of the client device is participating in;

one or more personal devices associated with the user of the client device;

one or more devices associated with a user group the user of the client device is associated with;

one or more devices physically located near each other in the same physical space; and

combinations thereof.

21. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the content shared is a file residing at the client device and the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

upload the file to a storage location at a data store using a remote storage interface of the orchestration framework; and

include the storage location in the request submitted to the orchestration service;

wherein receipt of the request at the orchestration service causes the orchestration service to initiate a notification to one or more of the plurality of devices; and

wherein the notification includes the storage location of the file at the data store.

22. The computer-readable media of claim 21 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

receive a share notification at the orchestration agent indicating a shared file is available at the data store;

retrieve the file from the data store using the remote storage interface;

identify an application capable of opening the file using an application resolver of the orchestration framework;

launch the application capable of opening the file using an application launcher of the orchestration framework; and

open the file using the application.

23. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the content shared is selected via a copy-to-clipboard command that is input at the client device and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

include the content in the request submitted to the orchestration service;

wherein receipt of the request at the orchestration service causes the orchestration service to store the content included in the request at a clipboard that is accessible to multiple devices of the plurality of devices and causes the orchestration service to initiate a notification to one or more of the plurality of devices; and

wherein the notification indicates the content included in the request is available at the clipboard.

24. The computer-readable media of claim 23 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

receive a share notification that content is available at the clipboard;

receive a paste-from-clipboard command at the client device;

submit to the orchestration service a request for the content stored at the clipboard using the orchestration agent;

receive the shared content stored at the clipboard in response to receipt of the request at the orchestration service; and

paste the shared content into an application at the client device.

25. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the content shared is a link and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

include the link in the request submitted to the orchestration service;

wherein receipt of the request at the orchestration service causes the orchestration service to initiate a notification to one or more of the plurality of devices; and

wherein the notification includes the link included in the request.

26. The computer-readable media of claim 25 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

receive a share notification that includes a shared link at the orchestration agent;

identify an application capable of handling the link using an application resolver of the orchestration framework;

launch the application capable of handling the link using an application launcher of the orchestration framework; and

handle the link using the application.

27. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

display a list of users using the orchestration agent wherein the list of users lists users available for selection as a selected user to receive the content;

wherein the list of users includes at least one selectable user associated with at least one device that is interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework; and

wherein the request to share the content specifies the selected user.

28. The computer-readable media of claim 27 wherein the at least one selectable user available for selection as the selected user includes:

one or more users associated with a user group of the user of the client device;

one or more users associated with an online meeting the user of the client device is participating in;

one or more users physically located near the user of the client device in the same physical space; and

combinations thereof.

30. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

display a list of user groups using the orchestration agent wherein the list of user groups lists one or more user groups available for selection as a selected user to receive the content;

wherein the list of user groups includes at least one selectable user group associated with at least one device that is interconnected with the client device through the orchestration framework; and

wherein the request to share the content specifies the selected user group.

31. The computer-readable media of claim 27 wherein the at least one selectable user group available for selection as the selected user group includes:

one or more user groups derived from calendar information provided by a scheduling service wherein the calendar information indicates one or more online meetings scheduled for the user;

a user group having one or more users associated with an online meeting the user is currently participating in;

a user group having one or more physically located near the user of the client device in the same physical space; and

combinations thereof.

32. The computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the client device to:

launch an online meeting application using an application launcher of the orchestration framework and join the online meeting using the meeting application;

interconnect with a set of devices associated with the online meeting through the orchestration framework;

share content with one or more of the devices associated with the online meeting using the orchestration framework during the online meeting; and

receive shared content from one or more of the devices associated with the online meeting using the orchestration framework during the online meeting.