Computer terminal operation system

• US 6,405,242 B1
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Satoru, Matsukura, Ryuichi, Sasaki, Kazuo, Okahara, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/143,402
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/209, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation

Abstract

A terminal operation system includes a plurality of terminals connected via a network, wherein an operated terminal can be operated by an operating terminal through an input device, such as a pointer input part or a key input part, connected to the operating terminal. The system controls an appropriate assignment of the operation authority and a smooth transferring of the operation authority among the operating terminals. The operating terminal operates the operated terminal based on a certain level of an operation authority which is layered into a plurality of levels according to the possible function to perform on the operated terminal such as key code input, mouse operation, pointer moving and so on.

Claims

1. A terminal operation system including a plurality of terminals connected via a network, wherein

an operated terminal can be operated by an operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal;

the operating terminal has a certain operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels that are layered in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal; and

the operated terminal comprises;

an operation authority requesting terminal storage part for storing at least one operating terminal which tries to obtain the operation authority for operating the operated terminal in a predetermined period that starts when the operating terminal tries to obtain an operation authority in a certain level; and

an operation authority assigned terminal determining part for determining after a predetermined period an operating terminal to which the operation authority is assigned out of the operation terminals stored during said predetermined period in the operation authority requesting terminal storage part.

2. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for realizing a terminal operation system comprising a plurality of terminals connected via a network, wherein a terminal having an input device can operate another terminal via the input device, the program comprising processes for realizing:

an operation authority request receiving step, where a request for an operation authority for operating an operated terminal on a network is received from an operating terminal which tries to operate the operated terminal;

an operation authority requesting terminal storing step, where at least one operating terminal which tries to obtain the operating authority for operating the operated terminal within a predetermined period after receiving the request is stored; and

an operation authority assignment terminal determining step, where an operating terminal is selected after said predetermined period from the at least one operating terminal stored during said operation authority requesting terminal storing step to be the operating terminal to which the operation authority is assigned.

3. A terminal operation system comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

an operation authority determining part for determining dynamically an operation authority to be given when a plurality of operating terminals compete to obtain operation priority for a function performed on the operated terminal based on the respective exclusive operation authorities.

4. The terminal operation system according to claim 3,

wherein the operation authority determining part determines the operating terminal conducting a predetermined operation as the operating terminal which obtains the operation priority.

5. The terminal operation system according to claim 4,

wherein the predetermined operation is a mouse click operation.

6. The terminal operation system according to claim 3, comprising:

a multiple pointer display part for displaying a plurality of pointers on the same display, where each of the plurality of pointers is operated by a corresponding operating terminal independently based on the multiple pointer authority which is one of a non-exclusive operation authority.

7. The terminal operation system according to claim 6,

wherein when an operating terminal is operating a mouse click operation which can not be accepted by its present multiple pointer authority and which can be accepted by the upper operation authority for a mouse click operation, the operation authority of the operating terminal is upgraded to the upper operation authority for a mouse click operation regarding such mouse click operation as a trigger for the operation authority upgrade.

8. The terminal operation system according to claim 7,

wherein if the upper operation authority for a mouse click operation is an exclusive operation authority, when the operation authority upgrade is conducted, an operation authority of an operating terminal which originally has the upper operation authority for a mouse click is downgraded to the multiple pointer authority instead.

9. The terminal operation system according to claim 6,

wherein an operating terminal can perform a function that is not covered by the operation authority it currently has only a certain number of times based on the operation authority.

10. The terminal operation system according to claim 6,

a timer for measuring a time of no operation period for each terminal;

and

a painter erasing part for erasing pointers which have not moved for a predetermined period from the display.

11. The terminal operation system according to claim 3, comprising:

an operation authority level changing part for changing dynamically an operation authority level of an operation authority that an operating terminal currently has to another operation authority level by a predetermined operation.

12. The terminal operation system according to claim 3,

wherein when an operating terminal is operating an operation which can not be accepted by its present operation authority and which can be accepted by the upper operation authority, the operation authority of the operating terminal is upgraded to the upper operation authority regarding such operation as a trigger for the operation authority upgrade.

13. The terminal operation system according to claim 12,

wherein if the upper operation authority is an exclusive operation authority, when the operation authority upgrade is conducted, an operation authority of an operating terminal which originally has the upper operation authority is downgraded instead.

14. The terminal operation system according to claim 3,

wherein operation priority is established among nonexclusive operation authorities on the same operation authority level being assigned to a plurality of terminals based on how the respective operation authorities were obtained.

15. A terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority;

wherein the operation authorities can be obtained by several kinds of processes, and

operation authorities on the same operation authority level vary in functions that can be covered by the respective operation authorities depending on how they were obtained.

16. A terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority;

wherein an operating terminal can perform a function that is not covered by the operation authority it currently has only a certain number of times based on the operation authority.

17. A terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority;

a timer for measuring a time of no operation period for each terminal; and

a pointer erasing part for erasing pointers which have not moved for a predetermined period from the display.

18. A terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

an operation authority transferring part for transferring an operation authority assigned to an operating terminal to one of the other operating terminals.

19. A terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal,

the at least one operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

an operation authority lending part for lending an operating authority assigned to an operating terminal to one of the other operating terminals;

wherein the operation authority lending part returns the operation authority lent thereto to the operating terminal that has lent the operation authority thereto.

20. A computer program for realizing a terminal operation system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals connected via a network, where an operated terminal can be operated by at least one operating terminal through an input device connected to the operating terminal;

an operation authority level classifying operation, where the operating terminal has an operation authority which corresponds to one of a plurality of operation authority levels classified in accordance with the functions that can be performed on the operated terminal,

wherein the operation authorities on the plurality of operation authority levels are categorized as an exclusive operation authority only, or an exclusive operation authority and a nonexclusive operation authority;

wherein the exclusive operation authority is defined as being exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

a nonexclusive operation authority is defined as being not exclusive of other operation authorities regarding a function performed on the operated terminal based on the operation authority; and

an operation authority determining operation for determining dynamically an operation authority to be given when a plurality of operating terminals compete to obtain operation priority for a function performed on the operated terminal based on the respective exclusive operation authorities.