Thin client system

• US 7,882,172 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kodaka, Hiroshi, Kakiuchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US11/749,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

In a thin client system which provides a high-quality picture reproduction method and which makes it possible to use a thin client terminal as a TeleVision (TV) phone terminal and a TV conference terminal, a video reproducing module is disposed in a thin client server device and a graphics module is disposed in a thin client terminal. The thin client server device sets a transmission color to a video display area of screen data and sends the screen data via a remote control communication path and simultaneously sends video data via a second route. The thin client terminal receives the screen data and the video data and displays the screen and video data as an overlay image in one same screen using the screen overlay scheme.

Claims

1. A thin client system, comprising:

a client server device working with an application system which sends video data;

a client terminal which activates a data generator of the client server device through remote control and which receives the data generated by the data generator to display the data; and

a network for coupling the client terminal with the client server device, to transmit data between a remote controller of the client server device and a remote controller of the client terminal,

wherein;

the thin client system is coupled to the application system which includes an application controller for controlling the transmission of the video data to the client terminal via the network,

the client server device comprises;

a screen data generator which generates screen data including transmission color data defining an area on which reproduced video data is to be displayed;

an application function unit for the client terminal;

a screen data storing unit which stores the screen data generated by the screen data generator under control of the application function unit; and

a screen data transmitter, including the remote controller, which transmits the screen data stored in the screen data storing unit via the network to the client terminal, under control of the application function unit,

the client terminal comprises;

a screen data receiver which receives the screen data sent from the client server device;

a video data receiver which receives the received video data sent from the application system;

a storing unit which stores the received screen data and the received video data; and

a graphics unit which displays the screen data and the video data as one screen, and

the client server device requires the application controller of the application system to transmit the video data to the client terminal under control of the application function unit, such that the application controller of the application system transmits the video data to the client terminal in response to the request of the client server device,

the client terminal receives the screen data sent from the client server device via a remote control communication path including the remote controllers and the network, and receives the video data sent from the application system via a non-remote-control communication path which is different from the remote control communication path, and displays the video data on the area defined by the transmission color data of the screen data using a screen overlay scheme,

wherein if a size or position of the video display area is to be changed on the client terminal when the client terminal is receiving the video data;

the client server device transmits to the client terminal, differential screen data including the transmission color data corresponding to the changed video display area, and

the client terminal displays the received screen data and displays the video data on the changed video display area, while the client terminal continues to receive the video data.

2. A thin client system according to claim 1, wherein the video data transmitter conducts compression processing for the screen data except the area defined by the transmission color data, and thereby making it possible for the client terminal to display the area with higher picture quality.

3. A client terminal device which can remotely control a client server device comprising:

a remote controller which conducts remote control via a network to control the client server device;

a screen data receiver which receives screen data transmitted from the client server device via a remote control communication path including the network and the remote controller, and stores the received screen data in a display memory, the screen data including transmission color data determining an area on which video data is displayed;

a video data receiver which receives video data from a video distribution server connected to a network and controlled by a video data transmission function unit of the client server device, the video data being transmitted via a non-remote-control communication path which is different from the remote control communication path and which does not include the remote controller;

a graphic unit which writes the received video data on the area determined by the transmission color of the received screen data in the display memory to display data in the display memory; and

wherein if a size or position of the video display area is to be changed on the client terminal device when the client terminal device is receiving the video data;

the client terminal device receives from the client server device, differential screen data including the transmission color data corresponding to the changed video display area, and displays the video data on the changed video display area while the client terminal device continues to receive the video data.

4. A client terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the graphic unit conducts an overlay display operation on the display memory to display an overlay screen image including the screen data and the video data from the video distribution device, by using a screen overlay scheme.

5. A client server device, comprising:

a screen data generator which generates screen data to be displayed at a client terminal under control of an application function unit which is remotely activated by the client terminal, the screen data consisting of a plurality of screen data blocks and including a transmission color data determining an area on which video data is reproduced;

a screen data transmitter which transmits application screen data via a remote control communication path including a network coupling the client server device with the client terminal and a remote controller of the client terminal which remotely controls the server device; and

a video data requester which requires an application server to transmit a video data to be displayed on the area determined by the transmission color data to the client terminal via a non-remote-control communication path different from the remote control communication path,

wherein the screen data transmitter determines whether each screen data block includes the transmission color data and transmits the screen data block including the transmission color data without a compression process; and

wherein if the client server device is instructed to change a size or position of the video display area on the client terminal;

the client server device transmits to the client terminal, differential screen data including the transmission color data corresponding to the changed video display area.

6. A method of transmitting application screen data and video data to a client terminal, performed by a client server device including an application function unit for a client terminal, comprising:

generating screen data by a data generator of the client server device;

transmitting the generated screen data via a remote control communication path including a remote controller of the client server device and a network connected to the client terminal; and

requiring an application server to transmit video data to the client terminal via a non-remote-control communication path under control of the application function unit of the client server device,

wherein the generated screen data transmitting step includes sub-steps of;

setting a video display area in which video is displayed at the client terminal;

setting a transmission color data determining the video display area on which the video data is reproduced;

transmitting control information on the set video display area and on the set transmission color data to the client terminal via the remote control communication path;

dividing the screen data into a plurality of screen data blocks;

comparing the screen data blocks of first application screen data already transmitted to the client terminal with the screen data blocks of second application data to be transmitted, to determine whether or not a change exists between two corresponding screen data blocks;

determining whether the changed screen data block includes the transmission color data;

if the changed screen data block does not include the transmission color data, conducting a compressing operation on the changed data block to transmit it;

if the changed screen data block includes the transmission color data, transmitting the changed screen data block without performing the compression operation; and

wherein if the client server device is instructed to change a size or position of the video display area on the client terminal;

the client server device transmits to the client terminal, differential screen data including the transmission color data corresponding to the changed video display area.

7. A screen data and video data receiving and displaying method performed by a client terminal device, comprising:

receiving control information on an area on which the video data is displayed and on transmission color data which defines the area, from the client server device via a first communication path;

receiving, from a client server device via the first communication path, a changed screen data block of an application screen data which is generated by the client server and consists of a plurality of screen data blocks;

determining whether the received screen data block is compressed or not;

writing the received screen data block in a display memory if the screen data block has not been compressed, and writing the received screen data block in the display memory after decompression process if the screen data block has been compressed;

receiving video data from an application server via a second communication path which is different from the first communication path, the video data being encoded and a format of which has been converted into a predetermined format;

decoding the received video data and conducting predetermined display processing for the decoded video data;

writing, in the display memory, the video data on the area determined by the received control information to display the data in the display memory; and

wherein if a size or position of the video display area is to be changed on the client terminal when the client terminal is receiving the video data;

the client terminal receives from the client server device, differential screen data including the transmission color data corresponding to the changed video display area, and displays the video data on the changed video display area while the client terminal continues to receive the video data.

8. A screen data and video data receiving and displaying method according to claim 7, wherein:

the display memory is a Video Random Access Memory (VRAM); and

the screen data and the video data are displayed in an overlay image using a screen overlay scheme of the transmission color data.