Method and system for displaying applications of different operating systems on a single system using the user interface of the different operating systems

• US 5,673,403 A
• Filed: 11/13/1992
• Issued: 09/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Wilfrid, Tycast, Robert Leonard, Hickerson, Lester Brooks, Tims, William Chapel, Verburg, Richard Lee, Powell, Colin Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US07/975,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 395/155, 395/157, 395/275, 395/500, 395/700
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

Two or more interconnected computer systems, each having a different operating system. For example, a client system may be running the OS/2 operating system and a second, server computer the AIX system. The server system that allocates display screen space for application windows running on the server system and supports window management. Further, the window management places GUI borders around the application window which allow a user to interact with the client application. The functions in these GUI borders include a menu bar, scroll bar, sizing features, pull down windows, and the like. The client application is mapped into a form which enables the application commands to be recognized by a library of functional calls associated with the server system. The server system, displays the client application in the designated window along with the server GUI. In this manner a user can interact with a client application using the server graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A data processing system for displaying output of a program application executing on a first computer system, written for a first operating system on a second computer system having a second operating system;

said second computer system connected to said first computer system, comprising;

means for allocating a portion of said second computer display screen for the output of said program application, and a graphical user interface on said second computer system, based on the second operating system in said second computer system;

means for enabling user commands to said graphical user interface on said second computer system to be processed by said program application on said first computer system; and

means for displaying the output from said program application and said graphical user interface in said portion of said display screen on said second computer system.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said means for displaying comprises means for mapping commands from said program application on a first computer system to commands which can be interpreted by said second operating system on said first computer system.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said means for mapping comprises means for creating function in said second operating system on said second computer system to accommodate function present in said program application on said first computer system.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said enabling means comprises:

means for interpreting commands from said graphical user interface on said second computer system directed to said program application on said first computer system; and

means for translating said commands into a form recognizable by said program application on said first computer system.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said means for creating function comprises:

means for comparing the program application function on said first computer system with function provided by said second operating system on said second computer system;

means for determining the function within said second operating system on said second computer system related to said program application function on said first computer system; and

means for using the function in said second operating system on said second computer system to simulate the application function on said first computer system.

6. A method of displaying a program application, written for a first operating system and executing on a first computer system, comprising the steps of:

allocating a portion of a computer display screen, for providing a graphical user interface based on a second operating system on a second computer system;

enabling commands from said graphical user interface on said second computer system to be processed by said program application on said first computer system; and

displaying output from said program application on said second computer system and said graphical user interface in said portion of said display screen on said second computer system.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said step of displaying comprises the step of mapping commands from said program application on said first computer system to commands which can be interpreted by said second operating system on said second computer system.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said step of mapping comprises creating function in said second operating system on said second computer system to accommodate function present in said program application on said first computer system.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said step of enabling comprises the steps of:

interpreting commands directed from second computer system to said program application on said first computer system; and

translating said commands from said second computer system into a form recognizable by said program application on said first computer system.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said step of creating function comprises the steps of:

comparing the program application function on said first computer system with function provided by said second operating system on said second computer system;

determining the function within said second operating system on said second computer system related to said program application function on said first computer system; and

using the function in said second operating system on said first computer system to simulate the program application function on said first computer system.

11. A method in a data processing system for displaying a remote application program in a window on a first computer system having a first graphical user interface from a first operating system, wherein said remote application program is in a second computer system having a second graphical user interface from a second operating system, said first computer system connected to said second computer system, comprising:

starting the execution of said remote application program in said second computer system having said second graphical user interface from said first computer system;

identifying said first computer system and a location for displaying said window by said second computer system;

converting user input commands of said second graphical user interface into associated user input commands of said first graphical user interface; and

displaying said remote application program and the associated user input commands of said first graphical user interface in said window on said first computer system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying said remote application program includes the step of mapping the remote application text of said second computer system into associated remote application text of said first computer system.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying includes the step of controlling the remote application program on said second computer system by said associated user input commands on said second computer system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said first operating system is Operating System/2 and said second operating system is AIX.