Virtual desktop in a computer network

• US 6,571,245 B2
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: iTVentures Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Magically, Inc.
• Inventors: Kwok, Lau C., Chun, Chan F., Fung, Wong K., Huang, Erwin S., Kwan, Chan S., Hung, Tse P., Ng, Tsoi, Kin, Chow W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/239,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10,501,513,201 709/203,217-219,248
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A network of servers coupled to the Internet provides a virtual desktop in a virtual computing environment. A user is able to access the virtual desktop from a variety of systems through various communications links. A site server initially receives a URL access from the user at a local system. After a successful login, a personal web page of the user is retrieved from a file server and returned to the local system. Through the personal web page, the user is able to send commands that are received and processed by one or more backend servers. The web page represents the virtual desktop of the user and includes links for applications available to the user, files and folders accessible by the user, and other personal information of the user. The network provides facilities to manipulate and manage files, and facilities to access and process data from web sites on the Internet.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a virtual desktop at a remote computing device, comprising:

receiving at a server a first URL from the computing device;

in response to receiving the first URL, retrieving a first web page representative of the virtual desktop for a particular user account, wherein the first web page includes links for applications and files accessible from the computing device for the particular user account;

returning the first web page to the computing device;

receiving from the computing device a first command sent via the first web page for an application or a file available on the virtual desktop;

sending the application or file from the server to the computing device for execution or manipulation on the computing device;

maintaining a synchronization folder of files to be maintained in synchronization between the computing device and the server; and

updating a particular file in the synchronization folder with a corresponding file on the computing device at a designated time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the computing device a request to access the particular user account; and

determining authorization for access to the particular user account, and

wherein commands received from the computing device are processed only if access to the particular user account is authorized.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the computing device to execute a particular application; and

coordinating execution of the particular application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command is for an application, and wherein app lets of the application are sent for execution by a browser application on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first command is for an application, and wherein codes of the application are sent for execution on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the particular application for the second command is executed at the server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the computing device to manipulate a particular file; and

manipulating the file in accordance with the second command.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the computing device to access a hypertext page referenced by a second URL included in the first web page;

retrieving a second web page corresponding to the second URL; and

returning the second web page to the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the computing device to customize the virtual desktop; and

returning to the computing device a second web page that includes tools and accessories to facilitate customization of the virtual desktop.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second command from the computing device to log out from the particular user account; and

directing an application on the computing device to clear memory and storage cache on the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a session starts when the first web page is returned to the computing device, the method further comprising:

setting a security mode for the session based on a previously selected security mode for the particular user account.

12. A computer program product for providing a virtual desktop at a client device, comprising:

code that receives a URL access from the client device;

code that retrieves a first web page representative of the virtual desktop, wherein the first web page includes icons and links for applications and files accessible via the client device for a particular user account;

code that returns the first web page to the client device;

code that receives from the client device a first command sent via the first web page for an application or a file available on the virtual desktop;

code that directs the application or file to be sent to the client device for execution or manipulation on the client device;

code that maintains a synchronization folder of files to be maintained in synchronization with the client device;

code that updates a particular file in the synchronization folder with a corresponding file on the client device at a designated time; and

a medium for storing the codes.

13. A computer network configured to provide a virtual computing environment comprising one or more servers, wherein at least one server comprises:

a processor;

an electronic storage medium; and

a memory, and

wherein the at least one server is configured to

receive a URL from a client device,

retrieve a first web page representative of a virtual desktop for a particular user account, wherein the first web page includes icons for applications and files accessible from the client device for the particular user account,

return the first web page to the client device,

receive from the client device a command sent via the first web page for an application or a file available on the virtual desktop,

send of the application or file to the client device for execution or manipulation on the client device,

maintain a synchronization folder of files to be maintained in synchronization with the client device, and

update a particular file in the synchronization folder with a corresponding file on the client device at a designated time.

14. The network of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers include a file server that stores a record for each of a plurality of user accounts.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the record includes files and folders and a list of applications available to the particular user account.

16. The network of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers include an application server operative to facilitate execution of applications stored in the application server.

17. The network of claim 13, wherein the one or more servers include a viewer converter operative to convert data files into a plurality of selectable file formats.