Remote information service access system based on a client-server-service model
DCFirst Claim
1. A remote access apparatus for providing end-user access through a human interface to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, comprising:
- a) a local host computer;
b) a remote host computer;
c) a network connection between said local host computer and said remote host computer allowing data transfer therebetween;
wherein said local host computer further comprises;
1) a human interface service means, for handling input from, and output to, an end-user;
2) a human interface server, for mediating requests for human interface services, said requests from human interface clients resident on at least one of said remote host computer and said local host computer, said human interface server operative to process said requests from said human interface clients during normal operation and exception operation; and
3) a starter client means, for issuing requests to a starter server means on said remote host computer, said requests for initiating interaction with the desired remote utility service on said remote host computer;
wherein said remote host computer further comprises;
1) said starter server means, for responding to requests from said starter client means;
2) a desired remote utility service, resident on said remote host computer and platform-independent of said local host computer;
3) a remote object client, for issuing requests for human interface services to said human interface server, for issuing requests for said desired remote utility service and for translating a response from said desired remote utility service into a request for human interface services issued to said human interface server; and
4) a starter service means, for initiating a remote object client indicated by said starter server means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A local host computing system, a remote host computing system as connected by a network, and service functionalities: a human interface service functionality, a starter service functionality, and a desired utility service functionality, and a Client-Server-Service (CSS) model is imposed on each service functionality. In one embodiment, this results in nine logical components and three physical components (a local host, a remote host, and an intervening network), where two of the logical components are integrated into one Remote Object Client component, and that Remote Object Client component and the other seven logical components are deployed among the local host and remote host in a manner which eases compatibility and upgrade problems, and provides an illusion to a user that a desired utility service supported on a remote host resides locally on the user'"'"'s local host, thereby providing ease of use and minimal software maintenance for users of that remote service.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A remote access apparatus for providing end-user access through a human interface to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, comprising:
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a) a local host computer; b) a remote host computer; c) a network connection between said local host computer and said remote host computer allowing data transfer therebetween; wherein said local host computer further comprises; 1) a human interface service means, for handling input from, and output to, an end-user; 2) a human interface server, for mediating requests for human interface services, said requests from human interface clients resident on at least one of said remote host computer and said local host computer, said human interface server operative to process said requests from said human interface clients during normal operation and exception operation; and 3) a starter client means, for issuing requests to a starter server means on said remote host computer, said requests for initiating interaction with the desired remote utility service on said remote host computer; wherein said remote host computer further comprises; 1) said starter server means, for responding to requests from said starter client means; 2) a desired remote utility service, resident on said remote host computer and platform-independent of said local host computer; 3) a remote object client, for issuing requests for human interface services to said human interface server, for issuing requests for said desired remote utility service and for translating a response from said desired remote utility service into a request for human interface services issued to said human interface server; and 4) a starter service means, for initiating a remote object client indicated by said starter server means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A remote access apparatus for providing end-user access through a human interface to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, comprising:
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a) a local host computer; b) a remote host computer; c) a network connection between the local host computer and the remote host computer allowing data transfer therebetween; wherein the local host computer further comprises; 1) a human interface service, for handling input from, and output to, an end-user; 2) a human interface server, for mediating requests for human interface services, wherein the requests are from human interface clients resident on at least one of the remote host computer and the local host computer, and wherein the human interface server is operative to process the requests for the human interface clients during normal operation and exception operation; and 3) a starter client which issues requests to a starter server on the remote host computer, wherein the issued requests are for initiating interaction with the desired remote utility service on the remote host computer; wherein the remote host computer further comprises; 1) the starter server; 2) a desired remote utility service, resident on the remote host computer and platform-independent of the local host computer; 3) a remote object client, for issuing requests for human interface services to the human interface server, for issuing requests for the desired remote utility service and for translating a response from the desired remote utility service into a request for human interface services issued to the human interface server; and 4) a starter service which initiates a remote object client indicated by the starter server. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A remote access apparatus for providing end-user access to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, comprising:
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a) a local host computer; b) a remote host computer; c) a network connection between said local host computer and said remote host computer allowing data transfer therebetween; wherein said local host computer further comprises a first processor and a storage device and; 1) a human interface service comprising a display device, a keyboard and a mouse; 2) program code for a process executing on said first processor comprising; (a) a human interface server that receives as input requests for access to said human interface service and outputs human interface commands; and (b) a starter client that receives input from said human interface service and outputs an access start request for initiating interaction with a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, the access start request being a request transmitted to a starter server by way of said network connection; wherein said remote host computer further comprises a second processor, a second storage device and program code to be executed on said second processor for; (1) said starter server receiving as input said access start request and outputting an indication of a remote object client corresponding to said access start request; (2) a starter service that receives as input said indication received from said starter server and outputs a command to initiate the said remote object client corresponding to said access start request; and (3) said remote object client responding to said command from said starter service and outputting commands to said human interface service for interface to an end-user and commands to a desired remote utility service; and wherein said network connection further comprises a remote object connection for transferring said commands to said human interface service and to said desired remote utility and a starter connection for transferring said access start request. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Computer readable media containing program code for implementing a method of providing end-user access via a human interface server located at a local host computer to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, the local host computer being characterized as local with respect to a network location of an end user and separated from the remote host computer by a network connection, the computer readable media comprising:
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a) program code for initiating a remote host program on the remote host computer; b) program code for initiating a local host program on the local host computer; b) program code for presenting the end user with an interface for inputting an indication of a desire to access the desired remote utility service; c) program code for initiating a starter client process controlled by the local host program in response to the indication; d) starter client program code for issuing an access start request over the network connection to a starter server process controlled by the remote host program, wherein the method of issuing the access start request is independent of a platform of the remote host computer; e) starter server program code for implementing a starter server process controlled by the remote host process to initiate a remote object client on the remote host computer in response to receipt of the access start request at the remote host computer; f) program code for establishing programmatic connectivity over the network connection between the remote object client and the desired remote utility service and between the remote object client and the human interface server; g) program code for issuing a human interface server request from the remote object client to the human interface server requesting interface to the end user; and h) program code for translating received responses to the human interface server request into a format understandable by the desired remote utility service.
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20. A method for providing end-user access via a human interface server located at a local host computer to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) initiating the human interface server on the local host computer and a starter server on the remote host computer, wherein the local host computer is characterized as local with respect to a network location of an end user; b) presenting the end user with an interface for indicating a desire to access the desired remote utility service; c) initiating a starter client in response to an indication by the end user of a desire to access the desired remote utility service; d) using the starter client to issue an access start request to a starter server over the network, wherein the method of issuing the access start request is independent of a platform of the remote host computer; e) using the starter server and a starter service to initiate a remote object client on the remote host computer; f) issuing a human interface server request from the remote object client to the human interface server requesting interface to the end user; g) translating received responses to the human interface server request into a format understandable by the desired remote utility service; h) issuing the translated received responses as a desired utility service request from the remote object client to the desired remote utility service; i) returning a desired utility service response to the desired utility service request from the desired remote utility service to the remote object client; j) translating the desired utility service responses into a second interface request; and k) issuing the second interface request from the remote object client to the human interface server.
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21. A method for providing end-user access via a human interface server located at a local host computer to a desired remote utility service on a remote host computer, the local host computer being characterized as local with respect to a network location of an end user and separated from the remote host computer by a network connection, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) initiating a remote host program on the remote host computer and a local host program on the local host computer; b) presenting the end user with an interface for inputting an indication of a desire to access the desired remote utility service; c) initiating a starter client process controlled by the local host program in response to the indication; d) using the starter client process to issue an access start request over the network connection to a starter server process controlled by the remote host program, wherein the method of issuing the access start request is independent of a platform of the remote host computer; e) using a starter server process controlled by the remote host program to initiate a remote object client on the remote host computer in response to receipt of the access start request at the remote host computer; f) issuing a human interface server request from the remote object client to the human interface server requesting interface to the end user; and g) translating received responses to the human interface server request into a format understandable by the desired remote utility service.
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22. A method for providing end-user access to a database service on a remote host comprising:
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a) initiating a starter client on a local host in response to an indication by an end user of a desire to access the database service; b) sending an access start request from the starter client on the local host to a remote host; c) receiving the access start request at the remote host; d) activating a remote object client at the remote host in response to the access start request, wherein the remote object client; 1) translates query information received from the local host in a first format from the first format into a database request format; 2) issues the database request to a database service; 3) receives from the database service a response to the database request; 4) formats the response into a human interface request; and 5) issues the human interface request to a human interface server on the local host; and e) presenting the human interface from the human interface server to the end user on the local host.
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23. A computer network for providing end user access to a database, the computer network comprising:
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a plurality of computers, each computer including a user input that includes a keyboard and a pointing device and access input from an end user and includes a user output that includes a display that presents output to the end user, the user input and the user output forming a graphical user interface, each computer executing software to issue a request to initiate communication with a remote computer and executing software to generate commands to the graphical user interface; a database located remotely from the plurality of computers and platform independent of each of the plurality of computers, the database including a plurality of database entries; and a server remotely coupled to the plurality of computers, the server executing software to receive a request to initiate communication from one of the computers and, after the communication is initiated, to receive an access request from one of the computers for access to the database and, in response to the access request, translating the access request into a format understandable by the database and querying the database for at least one of the database entries software executing at the server providing the at least one database entry to the user output of the one of the computers. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification