Method and system for remote controlling mobile phones

• US 9,572,017 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VNC Automotive Limited
• Original Assignee: RealVNC Ltd.
• Inventors: Gray, Tobias Edward Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US14/117,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/395 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen G09G5/399 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A mobile device comprising a processor which is configured to run at least one of a plurality of threads, said plurality of threads comprising a mobile control thread, a priority adjusting thread and at least one other thread; a scheduler for scheduling threads to be run on said processor dependent on a priority of an thread relative to other threads, a display for displaying data to a user, an input system for a user to input commands, and a communication link for connecting said mobile device to a remote terminal, wherein, when said mobile control thread is running the processor is configured to capture data currently displayed on said display; send said captured data over said communication link; and issue an update sent notification to activate said priority adjusting thread; wherein, when said priority adjusting thread is running, the processor is configured to determine, on receipt of an update sent notification, whether a previous update sent notification issued less than a threshold time earlier, determine whether said mobile control thread has used more than a threshold amount of said processor, and if both determining steps are met reduce said priority of said mobile control thread below a priority of said at least one other thread and set a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority of said mobile control thread is increased above said priority of said at least one other thread.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processor which is configured to run at least one of a plurality of threads, said plurality of threads comprising a mobile control thread, a priority adjusting thread and at least one other thread;

a scheduler for scheduling threads to be run on said processor dependent on a priority level of a thread relative to other threads;

a display for displaying data to a user;

an input system for said user to input commands; and

a communication link for connecting said mobile device to a remote terminal;

wherein, when said mobile control thread is running, the processor is configured to

capture data currently displayed on said display;

send said captured data over said communication link; and

issue, once said captured data has been sent, an update sent notification to activate said priority adjusting thread;

wherein, when said priority adjusting thread is running, the processor is configured to

determine, on receipt of said update sent notification by said priority adjusting thread running on said processor, whether a previous update sent notification issued less than a threshold time earlier; and

if said determining step is met

reduce a priority level of said mobile control thread relative to a priority level of said at least one other thread; and

set a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is increased relative to said priority level of said at least one other thread.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said priority adjusting thread has a higher priority level than all other threads.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said threshold time is approximately 700 ms.

4. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said timer is set to expire after approximately 350 ms.

5. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said priority adjusting thread changes said priority level of said mobile control thread between a high priority level and a normal priority level.

6. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

determine whether said mobile control thread has used more than a threshold amount of said processor; and

if both determining steps are met

reduce said priority level of said mobile control thread relative to said priority level of said at least one other thread; and

set a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is increased relative to said priority level of said at least one other thread.

7. A mobile device according to claim 6, wherein said threshold amount of said processor is approximately 50%.

8. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said capturing data step is responsive to receiving a display change notification from said display.

9. A mobile device according to claim 8, wherein when said mobile control thread is running, the processor is configured to compare said captured data with data captured previously, and wherein said sending step is conditional on detecting differences at said comparing step.

10. A system for controlling a mobile device, the system comprising:

a mobile device comprising

a processor which is configured to run at least one of a plurality of threads, said plurality of threads comprising a mobile control thread, a priority adjusting thread and at least one other thread;

a scheduler for scheduling threads to be run on said processor dependent on a priority level of a thread relative to other threads;

a display for displaying data to a user;

an input system for said user to input commands; and

a communication link for connecting said mobile device to a remote terminal;

wherein, when said mobile control thread is running, the processor is configured to

capture data currently displayed on said display;

send said captured data over said communication link; and

issue, once said captured data has been sent, an update sent notification to activate said priority adjusting thread;

wherein, when said priority adjusting thread is running, the processor is configured to

determine, on receipt of an said update sent notification by said priority adjusting thread running on said processor, whether a previous update sent notification issued less than a threshold time earlier; and

if said determining step is met

reduce a priority level of said mobile control thread relative to a priority level of said at least one other thread; and

set a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is increased relative to said priority level of said at least one other thread;

a remote terminal; and

a data link connecting said remote terminal and said mobile device;

wherein said remote terminal comprises

a display for displaying data to said user;

an input system for said user to input commands; and

a processor configured to receive said captured data from said mobile device and display said data on said remote terminal display whereby data from said mobile device display is duplicated on said remote terminal display.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein:

said remote terminal processor is configured to

capture input commands; and

send said captured input commands over said communication link to said mobile device; and

said mobile device processor is configured to

receive said captured input commands; and

execute said captured input commands as if they were input on said mobile device input system.

12. A method of dynamically adjusting a priority level of a mobile control thread which transmits data between a mobile device and a remote terminal, the method comprising:

capturing data currently displayed on a display of said mobile device;

sending said captured data over a communication link between said mobile device and said remote terminal;

issuing, once said captured data has been sent, a first update sent notification;

repeating said capturing and said sending steps;

issuing, once said captured data has been sent, a second update sent notification;

determining, on receipt of said second update sent notification by a priority adjusting thread running on said mobile device, whether said first update sent notification issued less than a threshold time earlier than said second update sent notification; and

if said determining step is met

reducing a priority level of a mobile control thread which performs said capturing, sending and issuing steps from a higher level to a lower level; and

setting a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is restored to said higher level.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said determining, reducing and setting steps are controlled by said priority adjusting thread which has a higher priority level than all other threads.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising at least one of:

said threshold time is approximately 700 ms;

said timer is set to expire after approximately 350 ms; and

said priority level of said mobile control thread is reduced between a high priority level and a normal priority level.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether said mobile control thread has used more than a threshold amount of said processor; and

if both determining steps are met

reducing said priority level of said mobile control thread below a priority level of at least one other thread; and

setting a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is increased above said priority level of said at least one other thread.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said threshold amount of said processor is approximately 50%.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein said capturing data step is responsive to receiving a display change notification from said display.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising comparing said captured data with data captured previously, and wherein said sending step is conditional on detecting differences at said comparing step.

19. A method for controlling a mobile device from a remote terminal comprising:

capturing data currently displayed on a display of said mobile device;

sending said captured data over a communication link between said mobile device and said remote terminal;

issuing, once said captured data has been sent, a first update sent notification;

repeating said capturing and said sending steps;

issuing, once said captured data has been sent, a second update sent notification;

determining, on receipt of said second update sent notification by a priority adjusting thread running on said mobile device, whether said first update sent notification issued less than a threshold time earlier than said second update sent notification;

if said determining step is met

reducing a priority level of a mobile control thread which performs said capturing, sending and issuing steps from a higher level to a lower level; and

setting a timer whereby when said timer expires, said priority level of said mobile control thread is restored to said higher level;

receiving said captured data from said mobile device; and

displaying said data on a remote terminal display whereby data from said mobile device display is duplicated on said remote terminal display.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

capturing input commands on said remote terminal;

sending said captured input commands over said communication link to said mobile device;

receiving said captured input commands at said mobile device; and

executing said captured input commands on said mobile device as if they were input on an input system of said mobile device.