Method for emulation of terminal-resident GUI application

• US 6,256,665 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SOTF Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SOTF Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Christopher, Christopher D., Mahan, Gregory L., Fry, Shawn C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Application Number:
  US09/444,797
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1-5, 717/11, 709/208, 709/230, 709/302, 709/300, 709/248, 345/326, 345/335, 703/23, 703/24, 703/26, 703/27
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer system and method for transmitting information in variable length information packets, each of which can be independently processed by the receiving computer irrespective of other packets, is disclosed. The invention enables the transmission of packets concerning one process to be interspersed with packets concerning other processes so that information can be exchanged between computers in the system without having to wait for the completion of an ongoing process.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a computer system, for using a host computer to emulate a GUI application on one or more terminal computers in a manner which is substantially transparent to the a user of said terminal computer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) executing an application program selecting a first set of data on said the host computer;

formatting the first set of data in one or more information packets, each of the information packets containing at least a portion of the first set of data, each of the information packets containing explicit command code which further contains graphical language macros for manipulating the GUI application on a terminal computer, the command code being independent from the command code in any other of the information packets, each of the information packets further having a length which is variable independently of the length of any other of said information packets;

(b) establishing communication between a the host computer and a the terminal computer, said the terminal computer having a GUI;

(c) transmitting from said the host computer to said the terminal computer one or more graphical language macros, said graphical language macros directly manipulating said terminal GUI information packets from the host computer to the terminal computer;

receiving the information packets in the terminal computer; and

the terminal computer ascertaining from the command code in each information packet action specified by the command code and performing the action on the portion of the first set of data in the information packet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said method is implemented by programming said terminal computer and said host computer using an interpreted language.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said method further comprises the step of reprogramming said terminal computer via said transmitted graphical language macros.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said method further comprises the step of performing error checking on said graphical language macros.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said method further comprises the step of re-transmitting said graphical language macros if said error checking indicates that said graphical language macros contain one or more errors.

6. A method, implemented in a computer system, for multiactively transmitting information in independently variable length information packets between a first computer and a second computer, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first set of data to be transmitted;

formatting said first set of data in one or more information packets, each of said information packets including at least a portion of said first set of data and an explicit command code which specifies an action to be performed by said second computer on said portion of said first set of data, said command code being variable, independent of said command code in any other of said information packets, each of said information packets further having a length which is variable, independent of a length of any other of said information packets;

transmitting said information packets from said first computer to said second computer;

receiving said information packets in said second computer;

ascertaining from said command code in each said information packet, by said second computer, the action specified by said command code; and

performing said action on said portion of said first set of data in said information packet.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each information packet includes an explicit predetermined start code, said portion of said first set of data, said command code, and an explicit predetermined end code, wherein an actual length of each said information packet is unknown to said second computer until said second computer receives said end code.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said start code is a first part of said packet to be transmitted and said end code is the last part of said packet which is transmitted.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of storing each information packet in a buffer by said second computer.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a second set of data to be transmitted;

formatting said second set of data in one or more information packets, each of said information packets containing at least a portion of said second set of data, each of said information packets further containing an explicit command code which specifies an action to be performed by said second computer on said portion of said second set of data, said command code being variable independently of said command code in any other of said information packets, each of said information packets further having a length which is variable independently of said length of any other of said information packets;

transmitting said information packets from said first computer to said second computer, said information packets containing said portions of said first set of data being interspersed with said information packets containing said portions of said second set of data;

receiving said information packets in said second computer; and

ascertaining from said command code in each said information packet, by said second computer, said action specified by said command code and performing said action on said portion of said second set of data in said information packet.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a second set of data to be transmitted, said second set of data residing on said second computer;

formatting said second set of data in one or more information packets, each of said information packets containing at least a portion of said second set of data, each of said information packets further containing an explicit command code which specifies an action to be performed by said first computer on said portion of said second set of data, said command code being variable independently of said command code in any other of said information packets, each of said information packets further having a length which is variable independently of said length of any other of said information packets;

transmitting said information packets containing said portions of said second set of data from said second computer to said first computer, said information packets containing said portions of said first set of data being interspersed with said information packets containing said portions of said second set of data;

receiving said information packets containing said portions of said second set of data in said second computer;

said first computer ascertaining from said command code in each said information packet said action specified by said command code and performing said action on said portion of said second set of data in said information packet.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said action is selected from the group consisting of:

calling a local function on said second computer, importing a function to said second computer and performing said function, and performing a function on said first computer and then displaying a result on said second computer.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein said action is selected from the group consisting of:

diagnostics, menuing, importing code, importing files, updating files, and updating functions.