Remote desktop client peephole movement

• US 9,013,369 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Little, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Premal
• Application Number:
  US12/182,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,456 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 34, 345/158
• US Class Current: 345/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/346 for systems having a bit-mapped display memory

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a first display module is provided, the first display module associated with a client device in communication with a server enabled to generate data for display on a second display module having a screen size larger than a screen size of the first display module, the data having an active area. Data is received at the client device. The first display module is controlled to generate a representation of a first portion of the data including the active area, the representation of the first portion representative of a peephole superimposed on the second display module, the peephole less than or equal to a size of a screen of the first display module. Input indicative that the peephole is to be shifted to an edge of the active area is received. The first display module is controlled to generate a representation of a second portion of the data including the edge, such that the peephole is shifted to the edge of the active area.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a first display module, the first display module associated with a client device having a remote desktop connection to a server configured to generate a desktop image for display on a second display module having a screen size larger than a screen size of the first display module, said desktop image having an active area and an activity within said active area, the method comprising,

receiving said desktop image at said client device;

controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a first portion of the desktop image including said active area, said representation of said first portion representative of a peephole superimposed on the second display module for tracking said activity, said peephole less than a size of a screen of the first display module, said activity comprising receiving input text in said active area such that said the active area scrolls through the peephole following the movement of the input text; and

when said peephole reaches a first edge of said active area,

automatically controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a second portion of the desktop image including a second edge of said active area, said second edge opposite said first edge, such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge of said active area so as to continue tracking said activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said active portion further comprises at least one of a cursor and a carat.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving input from an input device associated with the client device, transmitting said input from said input device to said server such that said server can update said desktop image, and receiving an updated desktop image comprising said input indicative that said peephole is to be shifted to said active area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first edge comprises a left margin and said second edge comprises a right margin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first edge comprises a right margin and said second edge comprises a left margin.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said active area comprises an active window within a remote desktop environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising shifting a top of said representation of said second portion down by at least the distance of a row from a respective top of said representation of said first portion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving scroll input data local to the client device and in response controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a third portion of the desktop image, at least a subset of said third portion adjacent to said first portion, such that said active area scrolls through said peephole.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving window zoom out input data local to the client device, and in response controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a fourth portion of the desktop image, said fourth portion comprising a substantial portion of said active area such that said peephole encompasses a substantial portion of said active area.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising desktop zoom out input data local to the client device, and in response controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a fourth portion of the desktop image, said fourth portion comprising a substantial portion of said desktop image such that said peephole comprises a substantial portion of the desktop image for display on the second display module.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a change has occurred in said desktop image; and

controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a third portion of the desktop image such that said peephole is automatically adjusted to encompass at least a portion of said change.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said change comprises generation of a dialog box.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first display module comprises circuitry for generating representations of images, and controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a first portion of the desktop image and controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a second portion of the desktop image each comprises controlling said circuitry.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising shifting an edge of said representation of said second portion by at least a distance of a row from a respective equivalent edge of said representation of said first portion such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge of said active area and by said distance of said row so as to continue tracking said activity.

15. A client device for controlling a first display module comprising

a communication interface for communicating with a server in a remote desktop connection, said server configured to generate a desktop image for display on a second display module with a screen size larger than a screen size of the first display module, said desktop image having an active area and an activity within said active area, the communication interface configured for receiving said desktop image;

and

a processing unit configured to;

control the first display module to generate a representation of a first portion of the desktop image including at least a portion of the active area, said representation of said first portion representative of a peephole superimposed on the second display module for tracking said activity, said peephole less than a size of a screen of the first display module, said activity comprising receiving input text in said active area such that said the active area scrolls through the peephole following the movement of the input text; and

,

when said peephole reaches a first edge of said active area,

automatically control the first display module to generate a representation of a second portion of the desktop image including a second edge of said active area, said second edge opposite said first edge, such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge so as to continue tracking said activity.

16. The client device of claim 15, further comprising said display module and an input device for receiving input.

17. The client device of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

shift an edge of said representation of said second portion by at least a distance of a row from a respective equivalent edge of said representation of said first portion such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge of said active area and by said distance of said row so as to continue tracking said activity.

18. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of controlling a first display module, the first display module associated with a client device having a remote desktop connection to a server configured to generate a desktop image for display on a second display module having a screen size larger than a screen size of the first display module, said desktop image having an active area and an activity within said active area, the method comprising:

receiving said desktop image at said client device;

controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a first portion of the desktop image including said active area, said representation of said first portion representative of a peephole superimposed on the second display module for tracking said activity, said peephole less than a size of a screen of the first display module, said activity comprising receiving input text in said active area such that said the active area scrolls through the peephole following the movement of the input text; and

,

when said peephole reaches a first edge of said active area

automatically controlling the first display module to generate a representation of a second portion of the desktop image including a second edge of said active area, said second edge opposite said first edge, such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge of said active area so as to continue tracking said activity.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises shifting an edge of said representation of said second portion by at least a distance of a row from a respective equivalent edge of said representation of said first portion such that said peephole is automatically shifted to said second edge of said active area and by said distance of said row so as to continue tracking said activity.