Method and system for shadowing information between computing devices

• US 7,698,393 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Criddle, Linda, Milstein, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEOD, MARSHALL M
• Application Number:
  US10/809,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20050229036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,212 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/227, 702/21
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A method and system for seamlessly integrating computing devices shadow information between computing devices. The transfer of information proceeds in accordance with user-defined preferences. While a user is interacting with an application on one computing device, the application is shadowed to another computing device. Since the information is shadowed, the user may continue interacting with the application on the other communication device at any point without first having to perform a synchronization.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for shadowing a current runtime execution between a first computing device and a second computing device, the method comprising:

associating shadow settings with an application of the first computing device, wherein the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising;

supported file identifiers of the application, computing device identifiers for identifying computing devices having authority to couple to the first computing device, a manual shadowing setting, and an automatic shadowing setting;

registering the application of the first computing device with a shadow manager, wherein the shadow manager is on the first computing device, and wherein registering the application includes communicating the settings to the shadow manager;

receiving a system event on the computing device, wherein the system event indicates a coupling of the second computing device to the first computing device;

upon receiving the system event, determining whether shadowing is supported according to the settings communicated to the shadow manager;

when shadowing is supported, copying, by the shadow manager of the first computing device, the state of the current runtime execution of the application to the second computing device to cause the second computing device to execute an application on the second computing device with the same current runtime as the current runtime execution of the application on the first computing device without synchronization of the second computing device with the first computing device, wherein the current runtime execution of the application is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the current runtime execution of a music application, the current runtime execution of a video application, the current runtime execution of a voice application, the current runtime execution of an internet application, and the current runtime execution of desktop application.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes determining whether the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising:

manual shadowing and automatic shadowing.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes confirming a digital certificate associated with the first computing device and the second computing device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes accessing digital rights management information associated with the application of the first computing device to determine whether shadowing is supported.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising ignoring the second computing device when shadowing is not supported.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for shadowing a current runtime execution between a first computing device and a second computing device, the instructions comprising:

associating shadow settings with an application of the first computing device, wherein the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising;

supported file identifiers of the application, computing device identifiers for identifying computing devices having authority to couple to the first computing device, a manual shadowing setting, and an automatic shadowing setting;

registering the application of the first computing device with a shadow manager, wherein the shadow manager is on the first computing device, and wherein registering the application includes communicating the settings to the shadow manager;

receiving a system event on the computing device, wherein the system event indicates a coupling of the second computing device to the first computing device;

upon receiving the system event, determining whether shadowing is supported according to the settings communicated to the shadow manager;

when shadowing is supported,

sharing, by the shadow manager of the first computing device, data of the current runtime execution of the application to the second computing device, wherein the data of the current runtime execution of the application is configured to cause the second computing device to execute an application on the second computing device with substantially the same current runtime as the current runtime execution of the application on the first computing device without synchronization of the second computing device with the first computing device, wherein the data of the current runtime execution of the application is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the current runtime execution of a music application, the current runtime execution of a video application, the current runtime execution of a voice application, the current runtime execution of an internet application, and the current runtime execution of desktop application.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes determining whether the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising:

manual shadowing and automatic shadowing.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes confirming a digital certificate associated with the first computing device and the second computing device.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes accessing digital rights management information associated with the application of the first computing device to determine whether shadowing is supported.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising ignoring the second computing device when shadowing is not supported.

11. A system for shadowing a current runtime execution between a first computing device and a second computing device, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

associating shadow settings with an application of the first computing device, wherein the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising;

supported file identifiers of the application, computing device identifiers for identifying computing devices having authority to couple to the first computing device, a manual shadowing setting, and an automatic shadowing setting;

registering the application of the first computing device with a shadow manager, wherein the shadow manager is on the first computing device, and wherein registering the application includes communicating the settings to the shadow manager;

receiving a system event on the computing device, wherein the system event indicates a coupling of the second computing device to the first computing device;

upon receiving the system event, determining whether shadowing is supported according to the settings communicated to the shadow manager;

when shadowing is supported, copying, by the shadow manager of the first computing device, data of the current runtime execution of the application to the second computing device to cause the second computing device to execute an application on the second computing device with substantially the same current runtime as the current runtime execution of the application on the first computing device without synchronization of the second computing device with the first computing device, wherein the data of the current runtime execution of the application is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the current runtime execution of a music application, the current runtime execution of a video application, the current runtime execution of a voice application, the current runtime execution of an internet application, and the current runtime execution of desktop application.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes determining whether the shadow settings include at least one member of a group comprising:

manual shadowing and automatic shadowing.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes confirming a digital certificate associated with the first computing device and the second computing device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein determining whether shadowing is supported includes accessing digital rights management information associated with the application of the first computing device to determine whether shadowing is supported.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising ignoring the second computing device when shadowing is not supported.