Computer remote control system

• US 5,949,412 A
• Filed: 08/12/1998
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Extended Systems Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Huntsman, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Katbab, A.
• Application Number:
  US09/132,845
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326-358
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A remote control system for remotely controlling a Microsoft Windows or other GUI-based first computer from a second computer over the internet using only a standard world-wide-web hypertext browser on the second computer. The second controlling computer may be dissimilar from the first controlled computer user interface, underlying operating system, and hardware architecture.

Claims

1. A GUI screen to hypertext converter comprising a GUI screen reader and a GUI screen to hypertext translator operatively coupled to the GUI screen reader.

2. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the GUI screen reader comprises software configured to pass screen image data to the GUI screen to hypertext translator.

4. The responder according to claim 2, wherein the hypertext receiver comprises software configured to receive a hypertext data request and present the request to the interpreter.

5. The responder according to claim 2, wherein the hypertext to GUI control interpreter comprises software configured to interpret a hypertext data request as a GUI control command.

6. The responder according to claim 2, wherein the programmatic GUI control executor comprises software configured to execute the GUI control command.

3. A hypertext to GUI responder, comprising:

a hypertext receiver;

a hypertext to GUI control interpreter operatively coupled to the receiver; and

a programmatic GUI control executor operatively coupled to the interpreter.

7. A computer remote control system, comprising:

a GUI screen to hypertext converter on a first controlled computer, the converter comprising a GUI screen reader and a GUI screen to hypertext translator operatively coupled to the GUI screen reader; and

a hypertext to GUI responder on the first controlled computer, the responder comprising a hypertext receiver, a hypertext to GUI control interpreter operatively coupled to the receiver, and a programmatic GUI control executor operatively coupled to the interpreter.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the GUI screen reader comprises software configured to pass screen image data to the GUI screen to hypertext translator.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the GUI screen reader comprises Microsoft Windows CopyScreentoDib( ) function.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the hypertext receiver comprises software configured to receive a hypertext data request and present the request to the interpreter GUI screen reader.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the hypertext receiver receives HTML data via an HTTP protocol.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the hypertext to GUI control interpreter comprises software configured to interpret a hypertext data request as a GUI control command.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the hypertext to GUI control interpreter includes clickable images of HTML.

14. The system according to claim 7, wherein the programmatic GUI control executor comprises software configured to execute the GUI control command.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the programmatic GUI control executor comprises Microsoft Windows hooks routines including JournalPlaybackFunc( ).