System translates target address of crosshairs displayed on screen to corresponding mouse address of another computer for emulating mouse command to select a file

• US 6,779,023 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tognazzini, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/984,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 345/156, 345/419, 710/38, 434/155, 707/201, 707/10, 707/100, 703/23
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A handheld computing device is used to copy files from the screen of a fixed computer. The display of the handheld device is linked to that of the underlying computer and file and directory icons together with their underlying files are copied to the handheld device. Files from the handheld device can also be transferred to the fixed computer. When a user is running a program on the fixed computer, he may capture the state of that computer and transfer everything needed to permit execution of that program to continue uninterrupted on the handheld device. Thus files and executing programs may be lifted from the fixed computer and used on the handheld device.

Claims

1. A method of selecting files comprising:

a. providing an element for linking a screen of a first computer and a screen of a second computer over a wireless transceiver to display the same information by determining a target address of crosshairs displayed on the screen of the second computer and translating the target address into a corresponding mouse address for the first computer; and

b. providing an element for sending commands from said second computer to said first computer over a wireless link to emulate mouse commands originating at said first computer by sending the mouse address to the first computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the crosshairs on the screen of the second computer; and

displaying crosshairs on the screen of the first computer to display the same information as on the screen of the second computer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining an icon corresponding to the crosshairs on the screen of the second computer;

obtaining a tile name associated with the icon; and

sending a command to the first computer to emulate a mouse command to select the file name associated with the icon.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending a file identified by the file name from the first computer to the second computer via the wireless link.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a. a memory medium; and

b. a computer program stored on said medium, said program comprising instructions for linking a screen of a first computer and a screen of a second computer over a wireless transceiver to display the same information by determining a target address of crosshairs displayed on the screen of the second computer and translating the target address into a corresponding mouse address for the first computer; and

sending commands from said second computer to said first computer over a wireless link to emulate mouse commands originating at said first computer by sending the mouse address to the first computer.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, the computer program further comprising:

instructions for displaying crosshairs on the screen of the second computer; and

displaying crosshairs on the screen of the first computer to display the same information as on the screen of the second computer.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, the computer program further comprising:

instructions for determining a target address of the crosshairs on the screen of the second computer;

translating the target address into a corresponding mouse address for the first computer; and

sending the mouse address to the first computer.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, the computer program further comprising:

instructions for determining an icon corresponding to the crosshairs on the screen of the second computer;

obtaining a file name associated with the icon; and

sending a command to the first computer to emulate a mouse command to select the file name associated with the icon.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, the computer program further comprising:

instructions for sending a file identified by the file name from the first computer to the second computer via the wireless link.

10. A method of selecting files comprising:

linking a screen of a fixed computer and a screen of a portable computer over a wireless transceiver to display substantially the same information;

displaying a cursor on the screen of the second computer based on input from a user;

determining a target address of the cursor on the screen of the second computer;

translating the target address into a corresponding mouse address for the first computer;

sending the mouse address to the first computer; and

displaying a cursor on the screen of the first computer using the mouse address.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a file name corresponding to the target address; and

sending a command to the first computer to emulate a mouse command to select a file associated with the file name.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending the file from the first computer to the second computer via the wireless link.