VIRTUAL DESKTOP IN A COMPUTER NETWORK

• US 20020091697A1
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iTVentures Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Magically, Inc.
• Inventors: KWAN, CHAN SHEUNG, HUNG, TSE PING, HUANG, ERWIN STEVE, FUNG, WONG KONG, KIN, CHOW WING, KWOK, LAU CHUN, CHUN, CHAN FUNG, NG, TSOI
• Granted Patent: US 6,571,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A network of servers coupled to the Internet provides a virtual desktop in a virtual computing environment. A user is able to access the virtual desktop from a variety of systems through various communications links. A site server initially receives a URL access from the user at a local system. After a successful login, a personal web page of the user is retrieved from a file server and returned to the local system. Through the personal web page, the user is able to send commands that are received and processed by one or more backend servers. The web page represents the virtual desktop of the user and includes links for applications available to the user, files and folders accessible by the user, and other personal information of the user. The network provides facilities to manipulate and manage files, and facilities to access and process data from web sites on the Internet.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a virtual desktop at a user'"'"'s computing device selected from among a plurality of possible user'"'"'s computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a URL from the selected computing device at a site server;

in response to the received URL, retrieving a personal web page from a file server, wherein the personal web page represents the virtual desktop, and wherein the virtual desktop includes links for applications and files accessible from the selected computing device;

returning the personal web page to the selected computing device;

receiving commands from the selected computing device via the personal web page at the site server; and

processing the commands at the site server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user'"'"'s access request from the selected computing device at the site server; and

determining authorization for the user'"'"'s access request at the site server,

wherein the retrieving, returning, receiving commands, and processing are performed at the site server only if access is authorized.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a synchronization folder that contains files to be maintained in synchronization between the selected computing device and the file server; and

updating the files in the synchronization folder at designated times.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a command to execute an application from the selected computing device at the site server; and

directing an application server to coordinate execution of the application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the application server transmits applets of the application for executing by a browser application on the selected computing device.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the application server transmits codes of the application for executing by the selected computing device.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the application server executes the application at the application server.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a command to manipulate a file from the selected computing device at the site server; and

in response to the received command, directing a file management system on the file server to manipulate the file in accordance with the command.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a command from the selected computing device to access a hypertext page referenced by a URL on the personal web page;

accessing a web page corresponding to the identified URL; and

returning the accessed web page to the selected computing device for display.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a command from the selected computing device to customize the virtual desktop; and

returning a window to the selected computing device that includes tools and accessories that facilitate customization of the virtual desktop.

11. The method of claim 1 farther comprising:

receiving a command to log out from the selected computing device at the site server; and

directing an application on the selected computing device to clear memory and storage cache on the selected computing device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a session starts when the personal web page is returned to the selected computing device, the method further comprising:

setting the security mode for the session based on a security mode that has been previously selected at the selected computing device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving information particular to the user,

wherein the information particular to the user is also maintained in the record.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the files in a synchronization folder are updated with similar files stored on a local system at designated times.

18. The network of claim 17 wherein the one or more servers include a file server that stores a record for each user.

19. The network of claim 18 wherein the record includes files and folders and a list of application available from the user'"'"'s computing device.

20. The network of claim 17 wherein the one or more servers include an application server that facilitates execution of applications stored in the application server.

21. The network of claim 17 wherein the one or more servers include a viewer converter that converts data files into predetermined file formats.

13. A computer implemented method for storing information representative of a virtual desktop for a user comprising:

receiving information indicative of a layout of the virtual desktop;

receiving information indicative of a list of applications available to the user;

receiving information indicative of files and folders associated with the user; and

maintaining the information indicative of the desktop layout, available application, and files and folders in a record,

wherein the record is stored in one or more file servers and information in the record is accessible by the user through the virtual desktop.

16. A computer program product for providing a virtual desktop comprising:

code that receives a URL access from a user'"'"'s computing device;

code that retrieves a personal web page from a file server, wherein the web page represents the virtual desktop;

code that returns the personal web page to the user'"'"'s computing device;

code that receives commands from the user'"'"'s computing device through the personal web; and

code that processes the commands,

wherein the virtual desktop of the user includes icons and links for applications and files accessible from the user'"'"'s computing device.

17. A computer network configured to provide a virtual computing environment comprising one or more servers, wherein at least one server comprises:

a processor;

an electronic storage medium; and

a memory,

wherein the at least one server is configured to

receive a URL from a user'"'"'s computing device;

retrieve a personal web page from a file server, wherein the personal web page represents the virtual desktop,

return the personal web page to the user'"'"'s computing device,

receive commands from the user'"'"'s computing device through the personal web, and

process the commands,

wherein the virtual desktop of the user includes icons for applications and file accessible from the user'"'"'s computing device.