Remote terminal operation

• US 5,838,905 A
• Filed: 07/30/1997
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Leigh, Kevin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/903,548
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.31, 395/200.47, 395/200.77, 395/200.6, 707/10, 370/229, 370/466, 370/416, 370/426, 455/517, 455/407, 379/127
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A PC system uses two different kinds of terminals both of which having different architecture from a traditional PC. A first kind of terminal receives and transmits high resolution information based on a relatively low resolution transmission link. This requires that software and intelligence be distributed between the PC and the terminal itself. A second kind of terminal device receives and transmits low bandwidth information, communicating with the PC or another terminal device, within a confined wireless network, or across another confined wireless network via a wired network. The device can be used within nanocells of coverage, and can move between the covered cells.

Claims

1. A method of operating a distributed computer system, comprising:

preparing computer operating software which is divided into a plurality of functional layers;

operating a first layer of the computer operating software carrying out a first application in a first unit;

operating a second layer of the computer operating software carrying out said first application in a second unit, remote from the first unit;

communicating an instruction level command from the first unit to the second unit, said instruction level command being based on an operation of the software operating at the first unit;

receiving said instruction level command at the second unit; and

operating the software at the second unit based on the received instruction level command to thereby take some action at the second unit based on said software operating in said second unit.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said second unit is a display device and said first layer operating step comprises determining a command that is indicative of a display that is stored in said second unit to be displayed at a current time,

wherein said second layer of the computer operating software retrieves information which is indicated by said command, and displays the information on said display device, and

wherein said command carries less information than an amount of information which is displayed on the display.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said command is to pull up a stored basic screen for said first application.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said first unit is an IO device, said first layer operating step comprises determining, based on user action and based on said first layer of the computer operating software, a current routine to be executed;

and

communicating an instruction indicative of the routine to be executed to the second unit;

wherein the second unit receives the instruction and uses the instruction in conjunction with said second layer of the computer operating software to execute the routine stored in said second layer of said computer operating software based on said instruction.

5. A computer system, comprising:

a base computer, including a processor, a memory, and a wireless interface portion, said base computer including a software program running thereon;

an IO unit, including a processor, a memory, and a wireless interface portion, said IO unit including a software program running thereon;

an element establishing an instruction level command link between said base computer and said IO unit;

wherein said IO unit processes a received instruction level command by retrieving information from its software program and memory and carrying out an IO operation on said information,

and said base computer includes an element which processes the same said instruction level command by retrieving information from its software program running thereon and processes said command to run or modify a routine therein.

6. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein said IO unit is a display, and said instruction level command is a command to display a particular screen which is stored as part of said software program in said IO unit, said IO unit including an element which retrieves said stored information from said memory and displays it.

7. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein said instruction level command is a command to execute a routine chosen from a menu on said IO unit.

8. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein said element includes first and second interfaces on the base computer, respectively providing different kinds of information thereon.

9. A computer system as in claim 8, wherein said first interface is a connection to a high resolution display terminal, and said command produces a display on said high resolution display terminal which has more information content than the command.

10. A computer system as in claim 9, wherein said second interface is a connection to a low resolution display terminal, and said command produces a display which includes a similar amount of information content to an amount of information of the command.

11. A computer system as in claim 10, wherein said second interface display terminal displays information directly, without processing the information in a way to change its content.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said first display terminal includes a processor and a program running therein.

13. A method of operating a distributed system, comprising:

operating a first part of a computer program in a computer system for performing a first application;

operating a second, independent part of the computer program in a terminal device for performing the first application; and

communicating a command from the first part of the computer program to the terminal device; and

the second part of the computer program performing an action in response to the command in the terminal device based on information stored in the terminal device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the action performed in the terminal device includes an input/output operation.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the terminal device includes a display, the command includes a display command, and the action performed in the terminal device includes displaying data on the display, and

wherein the data communicated in the display command is less in amount than the data displayed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the terminal device includes a display connected to a pointer device, the method further comprising:

determining, in the terminal device, coordinates on the display of the pointer device upon activation of the pointer device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing graphical information in the terminal device representing programs that can be executed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the second part of the computer program transmitting a command indicating activation of the pointer device at the determined coordinates on the display rather than continuously transmitting intermediate coordinates of the pointer device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the terminal device includes a display, the method further comprising:

the first part of the computer program performing one or more of the following tasks;

data processing, file storage, and interfacing with a network; and

the second part of the computer program performing one or more of the following tasks;

creating images on the display, formatting screens on the display, and determining positions on the display.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the terminal unit includes a display.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the action performed in the terminal unit includes displaying data on the display,

and wherein data transmitted in the command from the base computer to the display is less in amount than the data displayed.

23. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the first program and second program communicate instruction level commands between each other.

24. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the terminal unit includes a display connected to a pointer device, and wherein the second program is configured to determine coordinates on the display of the pointer device upon activation of the pointer device.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein graphical information representing programs that can be executed is stored in the terminal unit memory.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the graphical information includes icons.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the graphical information includes menus and their contents.

28. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the second program is configured to transmit a command indicating activation of the pointer device at the determined coordinates on the display rather than continuously transmitting intermediate coordinates of the pointer device.

29. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the second program is configured to process information and to transmit an instruction level command to the computer system over the communication link based on the processed information.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the first program is configured to respond to an instruction level command received from the second program by transmitting another instruction level command back to the terminal unit.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a base computer executing a first program;

a terminal unit executing a second program and including a memory, the first and second programs forming separate and independent parts of an operating software; and

a communication link between the base computer and the terminal unit over which the first program transmits an instruction level command to the terminal unit,

wherein the second program is configured to respond to the command by retrieving information from the terminal unit memory and performing an action in the terminal unit.