COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A REMOTE DEVICE WITH A LOCAL DEVICE

• US 20180124151A1
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teamviewer GmbH (TeamViewer AG)
• Original Assignee: Teamviewer GmbH (TeamViewer AG)
• Inventors: Haizmann, Andreas, Rau, Sascha, Lau, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 10,645,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: G06T 3/02 Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is presented for controlling a remote device with a local device which may have a smaller screen than the remote device. At least a part of a content of a screen of the remote device is displayed on a screen of the local device with a magnification m. The local device records a user-action performed on the local device, for example a swipe or pan gesture. If the value of the magnification m is greater than a threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for itself and executes the command. If the value of the magnification m is equal to or smaller than the threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for the remote device and transmits the command to the remote device for execution on the remote device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling a remote device with a local device, comprising the following steps:

a) a remote device having a first screen is provided;

b) a local device having a second screen is provided;

c) at least a part of a content of the first screen is displayed on the second screen with a magnification m;

d) the local device records a user-action performed on the local device;

e) if the value of the magnification m is greater than a threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for itself and executes the command locally;

f) if the value of the magnification m is equal to or smaller than the threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for the remote device and transmits the command to the remote device for execution on the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-action corresponds to a command to change the magnification m.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-action corresponds to a scroll command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second screen is a touch-sensitive screen, and the user-action is a touch gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the local device transmits all commands with the exception of a command to change the magnification m and a scroll command to the remote device irrespective of the magnification m.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first screen and the second screen have shapes that are at least substantially rectangular so that the first screen and the second screen each have a first side and a second side that is arranged perpendicular to the first side, and wherein

in a first range of magnifications m with M_min≤

m≤

M, the content of the first screen is completely displayed on the second screen,

in a second range of magnifications m with M<

m≤

M₁, only the content of the first screen extending along the first side of the first screen is completely displayed on the second screen, while the content of the first screen extending along the second side of the first screen is not completely displayed on the second screen,

in a third range of magnifications m with M₁<

m≤

M_max, neither the content of the first screen extending along the first side nor the content of the first screen extending along the second side is completely displayed on the second screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the value of the magnification m is in the first range of magnifications, the local device interprets

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to increase the magnification m, as a command destined for itself, and increases the magnification on the second screen;

and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a scroll command, as a command destined for the remote device and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to decrease the magnification m, as a command destined for the remote device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the value of the magnification m is in the second range of magnifications, the local device interprets

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to change the magnification m, as a command destined for itself, and changes the magnification on the second screen, and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to scroll the content displayed on the second screen along a direction parallel to its first side, as a command destined for itself, and scrolls the content on the second screen along its first side, and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to scroll the content displayed on the second screen along a direction parallel to its second side, as a command destined for the remote device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the value of the magnification m is in the third range of magnifications, the local device interprets

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to change the magnification m, as a command destined for itself, and changes the magnification on the second screen, and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a scroll command, as a command destined for itself, and scrolls the content of the second screen accordingly.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the value of the magnification m is equal to M_max, the local device interprets

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to decrease the magnification m, as a command destined for itself, and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to increase the magnification m, as a command destined for the remote device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first side is shorter than the second side.

12. A data processing system comprising:

a remote device having a first screen,

a local device having a second screen,

means for carrying out steps c) to f) of claim 1.

13. A non-transitory or transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor of a local device, perform the steps of:

displaying at least a part of a content of a first screen of a remote device on a second screen of the local device with a magnification m;

the local device records a user-action performed on the local device;

if the value of the magnification m is greater than a threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for itself and executes the command;

if the value of the magnification m is equal to or smaller than the threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for the remote device and transmits the command to the remote device for execution on the remote device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first screen and the second screen have shapes that are at least substantially rectangular so that the first screen and the second screen each have a first side and a second side that is arranged perpendicular to the first side, and wherein

in a first range of magnifications m with M_min≤

m≤

M, the content of the first screen is completely displayed on the second screen,

in a second range of magnifications m with M<

m≤

M₁, only the content of the first screen extending along the first side of the first screen is completely displayed on the second screen, while the content of the first screen extending along the second side of the first screen is not completely displayed on the second screen,

in a third range of magnifications m with M₁<

m≤

M_max, neither the content of the first screen extending along the first side nor the content of the first screen extending along the second side is completely displayed on the second screen, and wherein, if the value of the magnification m is in the third range of magnifications, the local device interprets

a user-action, which corresponds to a command to change the magnification m, as a command destined for itself, and changes the magnification on the second screen, and/or

a user-action, which corresponds to a scroll command, as a command destined for itself, and scrolls the content of the second screen accordingly.

15. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is executed by a local device, cause the local device to carry out the following steps:

displaying at least a part of a content of a first screen of a remote device on a second screen of the local device with a magnification m;

the local device records a user-action performed on the local device;

if the value of the magnification m is greater than a threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for itself and executes the command;

if the value of the magnification m is equal to or smaller than the threshold value M, the local device interprets the user-action as a command destined for the remote device and transmits the command to the remote device for execution on the remote device.