Dynamic desktop switching for thin clients

• US 7,949,705 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Randall B., McIntyre, Kristen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt; Yves
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US10/867,098
• Time in Patent Office: 2,535 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet

Abstract

A method for viewing a desktop on a first client involves initiating a first desktop session and a second desktop session, populating a first virtual frame buffer (VFB) using the first desktop session, populating a second VFB using the second desktop session, storing an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB) using the first VFB and the second VFB, and selecting a first portion of the EVFB to view on the desktop using a first VFB scout.

Claims

1. A method for viewing a desktop on a first client, comprising:

initiating a first desktop session and a second desktop session;

populating a first virtual frame buffer (VFB) using the first desktop session;

populating a second VFB using the second desktop session;

replicating the first VFB and the second VFB in an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB);

selecting a first portion of the EVFB to view by positioning a first VFB scout over a portion of the replicated first VFB and a portion of the replicated second VFB in the EVFB; and

displaying the first portion of the EVFB on the first client,

wherein the first portion of the EVFB comprises the portion of the replicated first VFB and the portion of the replicated second VFB,

wherein contents of the portion of the replicated first VFB and the portion of the replicated second VFB are displayed simultaneously,

wherein the EVFB comprises a fixed boundary independent of user control of the first VFB scout and between the replicated first VFB and the replicated second VFB, and

wherein the fixed boundary is displayed on the first client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

viewing the first portion of the EVFB on the first client and a second client, using the first VFB scout and a second VFB scout.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting a plurality of inputs from the first client and a second client on the first portion of the EVFB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client is a thin client.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a second portion of the EVFB to view using the first VFB scout; and

displaying the second portion of the EVFB on the first client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a third portion of the EVFB to view using a second VFB scout; and

displaying the third portion of the EVFB on a second client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second client is a thin client.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the EVFB and the second VFB scout are located in an EVFB service.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first desktop session and the first VFB are located in a first server,

wherein the second desktop session and the second VFB are located in a second server, and

wherein the EVFB and the first VFB scout are located in an EVFB service separate from the first server and the second server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed boundary between the replicated first VFB and the replicated second VFB joins a first fixed location in the replicated first VFB and a second fixed location in the replicated second VFB, wherein the first fixed location and the second fixed location are displayed on the first client independent of user control of the first VFB scout.

11. A system, comprising:

a first desktop session and a second desktop session, wherein the first desktop session is associated with a first virtual frame buffer (VFB) and the second desktop session is associated with a second VFB;

an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB) service comprising an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB) configured to store a copy of the first VFB and a copy of the second VFB;

a first VFB scout covering a first portion of the EVFB comprising a portion of the copy of the first VFB and a portion of the copy of the second VFB; and

a first client configured to display the first portion of the EVFB,

wherein contents of the portion of the copy of the first VFB and the portion of the copy of the second VFB are displayed simultaneously,

wherein the EVFB comprises a fixed boundary independent of user control of the first VFB scout and between the copy of the first VFB and the copy of the second VFB, and

wherein the fixed boundary is displayed on the first client.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a third desktop session, wherein the third desktop session is associated with a third VFB,

wherein the EVFB is configured to store a copy of the third VFB.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a second client configured to display a second portion of the EVFB, wherein the second portion is selected by a second VFB scout.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second client is a thin client.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second portion is selected by moving the second VFB scout in the EVFB.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second portion of the EVFB is stored in a frame buffer on the second client.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first client is configured to display a third portion of the EVFB, wherein the third portion is selected by moving the first VFB scout in the EVFB.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the EVFB is stored in a frame buffer on the first client.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first client is a thin client.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first desktop session and the second desktop session are hosted on a single server.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the fixed boundary between the copy of the first VFB and the copy of the second VFB joins a first fixed location in the copy of the first VFB and a second fixed location in the copy of the second VFB, wherein the first fixed location and the second fixed location are displayed on the first client independent of user control of the first VFB scout.

22. A computer system for viewing a desktop on a client, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a storage device; and

software instructions stored in the memory for enabling the computer system under control of the processor, to;

initiate a first desktop session and a second desktop session;

populate a first virtual frame buffer (VFB) using the first desktop session;

populate a second VFB using the second desktop session;

replicate the first VFB and the second VFB in an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB);

select a portion of the EVFB to view by positioning a VFB scout over a portion of the replicated first VFB and a portion of the replicated second VFB in the EVFB; and

display the portion of the EVFB on the client,

wherein the portion of the EVFB comprises the portion of the replicated first VFB and the portion of the replicated second VFB,

wherein contents of the portion of the replicated first VFB and the portion of the replicated second VFB are displayed simultaneously,

wherein the EVFB comprises a fixed boundary independent of user control of the first VFB scout and between the replicated first VFB and the replicated second VFB, and

wherein the fixed boundary is displayed on the first client.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the fixed boundary between the replicated first VFB and the replicated second VFB joins a first fixed location in the replicated first VFB and a second fixed location in the replicated second VFB, wherein the first fixed location and the second fixed location are displayed on the first client independent of user control of the first VFB scout.

24. A plurality of nodes each comprising a computer processor and interconnected using a computer network, comprising:

a first desktop session and a second desktop session, wherein the first desktop session is associated with a first virtual frame buffer (VFB) in a first node of the plurality of nodes and the second desktop session is associated with a second VFB in a second node of the plurality of nodes;

an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB) service in a third node of the plurality of nodes and comprising an extended virtual frame buffer (EVFB) configured to store a copy of the first VFB and a copy of the second VFB; and

a client in a fourth node of the plurality of nodes and configured to display a portion of the EVFB comprising a portion of the copy of the first VFB and a portion of the copy of the second VFB,

wherein the portion of the EVFB is selected by positioning a VFB scout to cover the portion of the copy of the first VFB and the portion of the copy of the second VFB,

wherein contents of the portion of the copy of the first VFB and the portion of the copy of the second VFB are displayed simultaneously,

wherein the EVFB comprises a fixed boundary independent of user control of the first VFB scout and between the copy of the first VFB and the copy of the second VFB, and

wherein the fixed boundary is displayed on the first client.

25. The plurality of nodes of claim 24, wherein the fixed boundary between the copy of the first VFB and the copy of the second VFB joins a first fixed location in the copy of the first VFB and a second fixed location in the copy of the second VFB, wherein the first fixed location and the second fixed location are displayed on the first client independent of user control of the first VFB scout.