Remote control of a linked computer

• US 6,748,423 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Khanna, Rahul, Vander Kamp, Kerry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H.
• Application Number:
  US09/513,008
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/210, 709/211, 709/232, 725/105, 725/107-117, 725/120, 725/127, 725/132-134, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 709/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

Techniques for using a controlling computer to control another computer with special instruction package prior to launch of the operating system in the controlled computer. For example, a method includes operating the package prior to running the OS in the controlled computer, using the package to cause the controlled computer to respond to a command from the controlling computer, using the package to generate a video frame to represent the received command and the generated response in two separate fields, and sending data for the video frame to the controlling computer. The package may be a special BIOS instruction set. The two separate fields have different coordinates and data bits representing the command are in the designated command field. In operation, the special BIOS set extracts a command from the data bits in the designated command field for execution according to the coordinates of the data bits.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

operating a package of instructions in a first computer prior to running an operating system, wherein said package includes a set of instructions within a basic input and output system (BIOS) of said first computer;

using said package to identify a command according to coordinates of data bits for the said command in said video frame;

using said package to cause said first computer to execute said identified command from data bits in a video frame received from a second computer via a communication link according to coordinates of data bits for the said command in said video frame;

using said package of said first computer to generate an output video frame to represent said command and said response in two separate fields having different coordinates;

sending data for said output video frame to said second computer; and

extracting said command into the second computer using its local BIOS.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising using a terminal emulator data format to send said command from said second computer to said first computer and said data for said video frame from said first computer to said second computer.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said terminal emulator data format includes the ASCII format.

4. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to sending said data for said video frame to said second computer, comparing said data to data for a last video frame generated before said video frame by said first computer to determine whether there is a difference; and

sending each data for said video frame that is changed from a corresponding data bit in said last video frame to said second computer.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising using a first buffer to store said video frame and a second buffer to store said last video frame.

6. A method as in claim 5, further comprising using a circuit to sample said first and said second buffers and to perform said comparison.

7. A method as in claim 5, further comprising configuring said package to include instructions that perform said comparison.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a ROM to store a package of executable instructions;

a processor operable to execute instructions in said package to identify to a command in a video frame communicated from a remote computer and execute the command according to coordinates of data bits of the command in the video frame to produce an output when said processor is not running an operating system, said processor operable to produce an output video frame representative of said command and said output in two separate fields;

a first buffer to store data for said output video frame;

a second buffer to store data for another output video frame that is generated sequentially in time after said output video frame;

a video sampler circuit to compare data in said second buffer to data in said first buffer; and

a communication port to send each data in said another output video frame that is changed from said output video frame to the remote computer, wherein, without running said operating system in said processor, said processor instructed by said package is operable to make two separate fields having different coordinates such that data bits representing said command are in a command field and data bits representing a response are in a response field, and said processor is also operable to extract said command from said data bits in said command field for execution according to coordinates of said data bits.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said package includes a set of instructions within a basic input and output system (BIOS) of the computer system.

10. A system as in claim 8, wherein said communication port sends data in the ASCII data format.

11. A method, comprising:

operating a basic input and output system (BIOS) in a first computer in absence of a running operating system;

connecting a second computer to said first computer to send a command to said first computer in a video frame in a terminal emulator data format which has a designated command field and a separate designated result field that have different coordinates;

placing data bits representing said command in said designated command field in said video frame;

using said BIOS in said first computer to extract said command from said data bits in said designated command field in said video frame according to coordinates of said data bits;

using said BIOS in said first computer to execute said command to produce a response;

using said BIOS of said first computer to generate a new video frame to represent said command in a designated command field and said response in a separate result field;

sending data for said video frame to said second computer; and

extracting said response from said new video frame in said second computer according to coordinates of data bits for said response in said new video frame.

12. A method as in claims 11, wherein said terminal emulator data format is the ASCII data format.

13. A method as in claim 11, further comprising:

prior to sending said new video frame to said second computer, comparing data in said new video frame to data in a last video frame generated before said new video frame by said first computer to determine whether there is a difference; and

modifying said new video frame to include only each data bit that is changed from a corresponding data bit in said last video frame to produce an output video frame; and

sending said output video frame to said second computer.

14. A method as in claim 13, further comprising using a first buffer to store said new video frame and a second buffer to store said last video frame in said first computer.

15. A method as in claim 13, further comprising using a circuit in said first computer to sample said first and said second buffers and to perform said comparison.

16. A method as in claim 13, further comprising configuring said BIOS in said first computer to perform said comparison.

17. An information processing device comprising a machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions that enable the device prior to running an operating system to:

communicate with a linked computer via a video frame delivered over a communication link, wherein each video frame includes a command field carrying data bits for a command and a response field;

identify a command received in a video frame from the linked computer according to coordinates in the command field;

extract the data bits in the received command in the video frame according to the coordinates;

execute the command received from the linked computer to produce a response;

generate a video frame to represent said command and said response in two separate fields within said video frame; and

send said video frame to the linked computer.

18. A device as in claim 17, wherein said package includes a set of instructions within a basic input and output system (BIOS) of the device.

19. A device as in claim 17, wherein the device is further enabled to compare two sequentially produced video frames to determine a data change and to send only said data change to said another computer.