Hierarchical display-server system and method

• US 8,700,723 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netzyn, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netzyn, Inc.
• Inventors: Bakke, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US13/160,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/208
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A computing system includes a hierarchical set of servers. The hierarchical set includes a master server and one or more slave server. The master server and slave servers communicate with at least one non-intelligent user system over a communications network. The master server has full access to each non-intelligent user system. The master server controls access permissions for each slave server to the non-intelligent user system(s). Each higher level slave server can control access permissions for sub-level slave server(s) to the non-intelligent user system(s). A master or, if permitted access, a slave server, creates a window in a display of the non-intelligent user system, and can provide access to the window to any lower-level slave server to send pixels to fill that window. The pixels can be the graphics output of an application such as a browser or spreadsheet or the pixels can be video (either live or read from a hard drive). In other applications of the servers, the server system can control output on components of the user system, and receive input from components and peripherals of the user system, all via communications over the network. Access to respective non-intelligent user systems is dictated by the master server and each higher level slave server of the hierarchical set of servers. Data representing input of components and peripherals is multiplexed and communicated over the network by the user system, and data representing output of components of the user system is received by the user system over the network and demultiplexed and delivered to the component for output on the user system.

Claims

1. A computing system operative via communications over a communications network, comprising:

at least one non-intelligent user system communicatively connected to the communications network, each of the non-intelligent user system, respectively, including at least one low-level component, respectively; and

a hierarchical set of servers communicatively connected to the communications network, including a master server communicatively connected to a slave server, (i) the master server and (ii) if communicatively permitted access to the non-intelligent user system by the master server, the slave server, communicatively control via the communications network the low-level component, respectively, of the non-intelligent user system, respectively.

2. The computing system of claim 1,

wherein each of the at least one non-intelligent user system includes limited processing capability for communicating on the network and at least one low-level component, respectively, the at least one low-level component, respectively, is selected from the group consisting of:

camera, microphone, speaker, printer, flash drive, GPS receiver, display for displaying windows, another input device, and another output device;

wherein the user system mutiplexingly communicates input of the low-level component on the communications network to the (i) the slave server, if the master server has allowed access by the slave server to control the low-level component, and otherwise, (ii) the master server;

wherein (i) the slave server, if the master server has allowed access by the slave server to control the low-level component, and otherwise, (ii) the master server, multiplexingly communicates on the network to the user system to controllingly direct output of the low-level component.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein communicative access over the network by respective slave servers to the non-intelligent user system, respectively, is controlled by the master server and any slave server with priority in the hierarchical set granted applicable permission by either of the master server and another slave server with priority in the hierarchical set.

8. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a file system connected to at least one of the group consisting of;

the master server, any of the at least one slave server, and the hierarchical set;

wherein the master server can access all files of the file system and the slave server, respectively, can be permitted access to select files of the file system by the master server.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the master server and, if communicatively permitted by the master server, the slave server, communicates across a firewall with the user system, on initiation by the user system of communication across the firewall to any of the master server and any slave server, respectively, of the hierarchical set;

wherein the master server, in conjunction with communications by the master server with the user system over the communications network, controls permitting for communicative accessibility by each of the at least one slave server, respectively, to the user system through the firewall.

10. The computing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a hypervisor,

the hierarchical set is a unitary device comprising a virtual master server and at least one virtual slave server, communicatively connected to the hypervisor.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the user system is included in the unitary device of the virtualized master server and the at least one virtualized slave server.

26. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the slave server is a first level slave server of the hierarchical set, further comprising:

a second level slave server of the hierarchical set communicatively connected to the first level slave server and the communications network, the second level slave server controls the low-level component, respectively, of the non-intelligent user system, respectively, if communicatively permitted access by the first level slave server to control the low-level component.

27. The computing system of claim 26, further comprising:

at least one other level slave server of the hierarchical set communicatively connected to the communications network, each of the at least one other level slave server hierarchically arranged to controllingly access the non-intelligent user system , respectively, via the communications network, to control the low-level component, respectively, if communicatively permitted access by either of the (i) the master server and (ii) if any slave server of higher priority to the other level slave server in the hierarchical set is permitted access by the master server, the slave server of higher priority in the hierarchical set.

28. The computing system of claim 27, further comprising:

a file system connected to at least one of the group consisting of;

the master server, any of the slave server, and the hierarchical set;

wherein the master server can access all files of the file system and the slave server can be permitted access to select files of the file system by the master server and, if applicable, any higher priority slave server of the hierarchical set having permitted access to the select files.

4. A server system for communicating over a network with a user system of at least one component, comprising:

a master server;

at least one first level slave server connected to the master server;

wherein the master server is capable of permitting any of the at least one first level server to access the user system over the network to selectively control any of the at least one component of the user system;

wherein each of the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of;

an input component, an output component, and combination.

5. The server system of claim 4,

wherein a traditional desktop style window user interface is interactively displayed on the user system via, either of alone and in combination, the master server and any of the at least one first level slave server permitted to access the user system by the master server;

wherein a respective distinct window frame, is created in the window user interface of the user system for selective operations of the user system by each of the master server and any of the at least one first level slave server permitted to access the user system by the master server, as applicable, the respective distinct window frame of the master server and any of the at least one first level server is created via communications over network between the master server and the at least one first level slave server, as applicable, and the user system; and

wherein one or more application unit of any of the master server and, if and as permitted by the master server, any of the at least one first level slave server, respectively, is respectively displayed in the respective distinct window frame corresponding the master server and the first level slave server, as applicable, of the user system, via communications over the network between the master server and, if applicable, the first level slave server permitted to access the user system by the master server, as applicable.

6. The server system of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of different types of user systems of a same user communicatively connected, either of synchronously and asynchronously, to the network,

the master server and, if permitted by the master server, the first level slave server, communicates on the network with each one of the plurality of different types of user system, and the server system automatically adjusts operation based on the type of the user system then being employed for communications by the user.

7. The server system of claim 4, wherein the server system dispenses with any requirement for an Application Programming Interface (API) between the master server and the at least one first level slave server connected to the master server.

20. The server system of claim 4, further comprising:

a window of the user system, respective distinct ones of the window are uniquely created on the user system by the master server for each respective one of the at least first level slave server permitted access to the user system by the master server;

wherein the first level slave server, via communicated data representing pixels for display in the window, to the user system, fills the window of the user system with pixels, if the master server has permitted the first level slave server to access the user system over the network to control the window.

21. The server system of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one higher level server selected from the group of;

the master server, the first level slave server, another slave server to the first level slave server, and another slave server to any other slave server of greater hierarchy;

at least one lower level server relative to the at least one higher level server, selected from the group of;

the first level slave server, another slave server to the first level slave server, and another slave server to any other slave server of greater hierarchy; and

a window of the user system, a respective one of the window is uniquely created on the user system by any higher level server for each respective one of the lower level server permitted access to the user system by the higher level server and, if the master server is not the higher level server, the master server;

wherein the lower level slave server permitted access to the user system, respectfully, via communicated data to the user system representing pixels for display in the window, fills the window of the user system with pixels.

22. The server system of claim 21, wherein the pixels are selected from the group of:

a typical desktop style frame, graphics output of an application program of the lower level server, a browser, spreadsheet, live video, and video stored in the lower level server.

23. The server system of claim 21, wherein the respective one of the window for each respective one of the lower level server is the only location that the lower level server can fill with pixels at the user system.

24. The server system of claim 22, further comprising:

a second window created by the higher level server on the user system within the window;

wherein the higher level server permits access to the second window by any of the lower level servers.

25. The server system of claim 24, wherein the lower level server permitted access to the second window is permitted access only to the second window and not otherwise to the window and can fill the second window with pixels at the user system via communications over the network.

12. A method of communicating by a hierarchical set of servers with a user device over a communications network connected to the user device, comprising the steps of:

controlling access rights to the user device, of a plurality of slave servers by a master server of the hierarchical set, wherein the master server has full access to control the user device via communications over the network and each slave server of the plurality requires access permission to control the user device; and

controlling access rights of at least one of the plurality of slave servers by the master server, the at least one of the plurality of slave servers has access to control the user device via communications over the network only if and as permitted by the master server;

controlling access rights of at least one of the slave server, as a sub-level slave server to another of the slave server of the plurality of the hierarchical set, by at least one other of the slave servers, as a higher level slave server of the hierarchical set, the at least one sub-level slave server has access to control the user device via communications over the network only if and as permitted by the master server and the higher level slave server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

creating, via communications of the master server with the user device over the communications network, at least one of distinct window of the user device for the master server; and

creating, via communications over the communications network of each slave server permitted access to the user device, a respective distinct window of the user device for each slave server, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

communicating by the user device over the network, a data representing input of a component of the user device, to either of (i) the master server and (ii) at least one of the slave server permitted access to the user device;

wherein an application program stored on either of (i) the master server and (ii) any of the at least one of the slave server, of the step of communicating by the user device, processes the data representing input of the component of the user device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

communicating to the user device over the network, a data representing output of a component of the user device, by either of (i) the master server and the at least one slave server, of the step of communicating by the user device,

the data representing output controls an output by the user device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data representing output is an output by the user device selected from the group of:

video, audio, text, graphics, multimedia and combinations.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the user device includes limited processing capability for the input and output by the user device and communications on the network with the master server and any of the at least one slave server.

18. The method of claim 14,

wherein the master server and the slave servers each include a respective unit for a respective application output by the user device;

wherein step of communicating by the user device is performed with either of (i) the master server and (ii) the slave server permitted access to the user device, of the respective unit, for the operation of the respective unit via communications over the network; and

wherein a separate respective distinct window of the user device is created for the respective unit operated for the user device, by applicable one of (a) the master server and (b) the slave server permitted access to control the user device, of the respective unit.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the respective unit is selected from the group of:

business productivity unit, calendar, clock, video game, photo developer unit, media player, and combinations.