Reverse seamless integration between local and remote computing environments

• US 9,210,213 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momchilov, Georgy, Ye, Ning, Tabares, Modesto
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/600,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• 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: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Methods and systems for transparent user interface integration between remote (“published”) applications and their local counterparts are described, providing a seamless, unified user experience, and allowing integration of a start menu, dock, taskbar, desktop shortcuts, windows, window and application switching, system tray elements, client-to-host and host-to-client file type association, URL redirection, browser cookie redirection, token redirection, status message interception and redirection, and other elements. These methods and systems further enhance theme-integration between a client and remote desktop or virtual machine by remoting all UI elements to a recipient for generation, including text controls, buttons, progress bars, radio buttons, list boxes, or other elements; presenting them with the receiver'"'"'s product and OS-specific UI; and returning status back to the sender. This may achieve a more unified and transparent UI integration. Furthermore, international text may be correctly received in cross-language environments, or translated into the language of the presenting environment.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a local client device, cause the local client device to act in accordance with the instructions, said instructions comprising:

identifying a local real window corresponding to an application executing on the client device;

creating, by a virtual desktop receiver application executing on the client device, a shadow window on the client device, said shadow window corresponding to the local real window, wherein the shadow window includes a replication of content from the local real window;

receiving input via the shadow window; and

proxying the input to the local real window.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the replication of content comprises a scaled version of the content from the local real window.

3. The computer readable media of claim 2, wherein the scaled version complies with a scaling factor of the virtual desktop receiver application.

4. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

tracking window alteration of the local application window relative to a remote desktop window of the virtual desktop receiver application; and

detecting the local application window intersecting a boundary of the remote desktop window,

and said instructions further comprising;

storing a position and size of the local application window;

hiding the local application window;

handling window changes to the shadow window as the shadow window is moved or resized;

presenting a first portion of the shadow window within the boundaries of the remote desktop window; and

hiding a second portion of the shadow window not within the boundaries of the remote desktop window.

5. The computer readable media of claim 4, said instructions further comprising:

detecting when the shadow window position is entirely within boundaries of the remote desktop window;

restoring the local application window to a current position of the shadow window; and

destroying the shadow window.

6. The computer readable media of claim 4, wherein said hiding the local application window comprises one of:

changing a transparency property of the local application window, changing a Z-order of the local application window to be behind the remote desktop window, and changing a position of the local application window to be off-screen.

7. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the local real window corresponds to a local application prevented from executing multiple instances on the local client device;

wherein identifying comprises determining when the virtual desktop receiver application requests a second instance of the local application;

wherein said instructions further comprising;

displaying the shadow window on a remote desktop presented by the virtual desktop receiver application.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the local real window is presented on a second remote desktop.

9. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the local real window is presented on a local desktop of the local client device.

10. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a client device, a local real window corresponding to an application executing on the client device;

creating, by a virtual desktop receiver application executing on the client device, a shadow window corresponding to the local real window, wherein the shadow window includes a replication of content from the local real window;

receiving input via the shadow window; and

proxying the input to the local real window.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the replication of content comprises a scaled version of the content from the local real window.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the scaled version complies with a scaling factor of the virtual desktop receiver application.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying comprises:

tracking window alteration of the local application window relative to a remote desktop window of the virtual desktop receiver application; and

detecting the local application window intersecting a boundary of the remote desktop window,

and the method further comprises;

storing a position and size of the local application window;

hiding the local application window;

handling window changes to the shadow window as the shadow window is moved or resized;

presenting a first portion of the shadow window within the boundaries of the remote desktop window; and

hiding a second portion of the shadow window not within the boundaries of the remote desktop window.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting when the shadow window position is entirely within boundaries of the remote desktop window;

restoring the local application window to a current position of the shadow window; and

destroying the shadow window.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said hiding the local application window comprises one of:

changing a transparency property of the local application window, changing a Z-order of the local application window to be behind the remote desktop window, and changing a position of the local application window to be off-screen.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the local real window corresponds to a local application prevented from executing multiple instances on the local client device;

wherein identifying comprises determining when the virtual desktop receiver application requests a second instance of the local application; and

wherein the method further comprises displaying the shadow window on a remote desktop presented by the virtual desktop receiver application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the local real window is presented on a second remote desktop.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the local real window is presented on a local desktop of the local client device.

19. A client device, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more memories storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the client device to perform;

identifying a local real window corresponding to an application executing on the client device;

creating, by a virtual desktop receiver application executing on the client device, a shadow window corresponding to the local real window, wherein the shadow window includes a replication of content from the local real window;

receiving input via the shadow window; and

proxying the input to the local real window.

20. The client device of claim 19, wherein the identifying comprises:

tracking window alteration of the local application window relative to a remote desktop window of the virtual desktop receiver application; and

detecting the local application window intersecting a boundary of the remote desktop window,

and wherein the instructions further cause the client device to perform;

storing a position and size of the local application window;

hiding the local application window;

handling window changes to the shadow window as the shadow window is moved or resized;

presenting a first portion of the shadow window within the boundaries of the remote desktop window; and

hiding a second portion of the shadow window not within the boundaries of the remote desktop window.