METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR BROWSER-BASED CONTROL OF A REMOTE COMPUTER

• US 20120317487A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearSlide Incorporated (BigTinCan Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: ClearSlide Incorporated (BigTinCan Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Lieb, Adam Michael, Benton, James L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor

Abstract

A method and system for remote control of a presenter'"'"'s computer screen using only web browsers is described. Viewers are able to view representation of a presenter'"'"'s screen on a screen of the viewer'"'"'s device and remotely control the presenter'"'"'s screen directly from a web browser, without any downloads, plugins, or dialog boxes. Viewer control events are captured by the browser, sent to a server, and transmitted to the presenter'"'"'s computer. A program running on the presenter'"'"'s computer executes the control events, updates the presenter'"'"'s screen, and transmits images of the updated screen back to the viewers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving at a server images of a presenter screen associated with a presenter device for sharing with a viewer, wherein the presenter device loads a presentation viewing webpage in a first web browser to enable sharing;

receiving at the server control events performed by a first viewer to remotely control the presenter'"'"'s screen, wherein the first viewer views the images of the presenter screen using a viewer device running a second web browser accessing a viewer webpage containing an embedded script that captures the viewer'"'"'s control events and transmits the control events to the server;

transmitting by the server the control events to a program running in the presentation viewing webpage, wherein the program executes the control events on the presenter screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the program updated images of the presenter screen after the program executes the control events on the presenter screen and transmitting the updated images to the viewer device via the server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising persistently storing the received images of the presenter screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the stored images of the presenter screen can be played back as an interactive series of images at a later time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the received control events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first viewer is one of a plurality of viewers viewing the images of the presenter screen.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising maintaining statistics pertaining to sharing the presenter screen, wherein statistics includes at least one of how long the presenter screen was shared, identification of the plurality of viewers, the first viewer'"'"'s control events with the first viewer'"'"'s identification, additional control events performed by additional viewers with the additional viewers'"'"' identification.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

tracking an idle timeout period;

transmitting subsequent control events from the first viewer to the program for execution on the presenter screen if the subsequent control events are received within the idle timeout period;

otherwise, transmitting control events received from a second viewer to the program for execution if the second viewer executes control events.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a command to the embedded script to display a user interface message on the viewer device that the first viewer has lost control of the presenter'"'"'s screen if the first viewer is idle longer than the idle timeout period and the second viewer executes control events.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

upon receiving at the server presenter control events performed by the presenter, pre-empting any viewer'"'"'s control of the presenter'"'"'s screen;

returning control of the presenter'"'"'s screen to the presenter;

transmitting a command to the embedded script on the pre-empted viewer'"'"'s webpage to display a user interface message on the pre-empted viewer'"'"'s device that the pre-empted viewer has lost control of the presenter'"'"'s screen.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

tracking a presenter idle timeout period;

transmitting additional control events from any viewer to the program for execution on the presenter screen if the additional control events are received after the presenter idle timeout period.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from the presenter a selected viewer for controlling the presenter'"'"'s screen;

transmitting only additional control events from the selected viewer for execution on the presenter screen.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a first input from the presenter to stop transmitting control events from the plurality of viewers;

transmitting a command to the embedded script on an interrupted viewer'"'"'s webpage to display a user interface message on the interrupted viewer'"'"'s device that the interrupted viewer has lost control of the presenter'"'"'s screen.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second input from the presenter to resume transmitting control events from the plurality of viewers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein control events include one or more of:

mouse movements, mouse button clicks, mouse wheel rotations, mouse wheel clicks, and keyboard inputs.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the images of the presenter screen shared with the viewer only show a portion of the presenter screen.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second web browser are software programs that can access web sites and information over a network.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

capturing a first control event made by a viewer interacting with an image of a presenter screen, wherein the image is displayed on a viewing webpage loaded in a viewer web browser on a viewer screen, and further wherein the viewer web browser runs on a viewer device;

transmitting the first control event to a server, wherein the server transmits the first control event for replication on the presenter screen.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising translating a cursor movement from a first coordinate system corresponding of the viewer screen to a second coordinate system corresponding to the presenter screen, wherein the first control event is the cursor movement, and further wherein the image of the presenter screen includes only a portion of the presenter of the screen.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the first control event to the server comprises:

waiting a period of time for additional control events to be performed by the viewer;

transmitting the first control event to the server if additional control events do not occur during the period of time;

otherwise, batching the first control event and the additional control events and transmitting the batched events to the server.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first control event corresponds to an input provided by the viewer through an input mechanism of the viewer device.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the viewing webpage is provided by a presenter sharing the presenter screen with the viewer.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a command from the server to display a user interface message on the viewer screen that the viewer has lost control of the presenter'"'"'s screen if the first viewer does not perform control events for longer than the idle timeout period and a second viewer executes control events, or if the presenter resumes control of the presenter'"'"'s screen.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first control event includes one or more of:

mouse movements, mouse button clicks, mouse wheel rotations, mouse wheel clicks, and keyboard inputs.

25. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving control events performed by a viewer interacting with a first image of a presenter screen, wherein the first image is displayed on a viewing webpage loaded in a viewer web browser on a viewer screen, and further wherein the viewer web browser runs on a viewer device;

executing the control events on a presenter device associated with the presenter screen, wherein the executed control events are shown on the presenter screen.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

capturing a second image of the presenter screen that reflects the executed control events;

transmitting the second image to a server, wherein the server transmits the second image to the viewer.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein execution of the control events performed by the viewer are preempted if an input mechanism of the presenter device is controlling the presenter screen.

28. A system comprising:

a presenter device configured to run a first web browser and load a presentation viewing webpage that enables sharing with a viewer device, wherein the presentation viewing webpage is shown on a presenter screen;

the viewer device configured to run a second web browser and access a provided webpage that displays the content, wherein the provided webpage contains an embedded script, and further wherein the embedded script captures control events performed by a viewer using an input mechanism of the viewer device to interact with the content and transmits the captured control events to a server;

the server configured to receive the captured control events from the viewer device and transmit the captured control events to the presenter device, wherein a program runs in the presentation viewing webpage that executes the received captured control events and updates the presenter screen to reflect the control events.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the server further stores the captured control events.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the program further transmits an image of the updated presenter screen to the server, and further wherein the server transmits the image to the viewer device for display on the webpage.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the server further stores the series of images and control events for later playback.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein a first dedicated network connection is used to transmit information between the presenter device and the server, and a second dedicated network connection is used to transmit information between the server and the viewer device.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein control events include one or more of:

mouse movements, mouse button clicks, mouse wheel rotations, mouse wheel clicks, and keyboard inputs.

34. A system comprising:

means for receiving at a server images of a presenter screen associated with a presenter device for sharing with a viewer, wherein the presenter device loads a presentation viewing webpage in a first web browser to enable sharing;

means for receiving at the server control events performed by a first viewer to remotely control the presenter'"'"'s screen, wherein the first viewer views the images of the presenter screen using a viewer device running a second web browser accessing a viewer webpage containing an embedded script that captures the viewer'"'"'s control events and transmits the control events to the server;

means for transmitting by the server the control events to a program running in the presentation viewing webpage, wherein the program executes the control events on the presenter screen.

35. A program instantiated on a computer system,

the computer system including:

a display screen;

at least one memory component storing a web browser program;

at least one input device; and

a processor coupled among the display screen, the memory component, and the at least one input device, wherein the processor runs the stored web browser program for loading a presentation viewing webpage that contains content for sharing; and

the program comprising;

a control event module configured to;

receive control events performed by a viewer interacting with a first representation of the displayer screen, wherein the first image is displayed on a viewing webpage loaded in a viewer web browser on a viewer screen, and further wherein the viewer web browser runs on a viewer device; and

execute the control events on the device associated with the presenter screen, wherein the executed control events are shown on the display screen; and

a recording module configured to capture an image of the display screen including the executed control events; and

an image transmission module configured to transmit the image to a server, wherein the server transmits the image to the viewer device for display on the viewer screen.