Cooperative information processing method and apparatus utilizing local program

• US 5,748,894 A
• Filed: 04/22/1994
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tomomi, Mori, Kenjiro, Ishizaki, Takeshi, Kameda, Masami, Nakayama, Yoshiyuki, Kitahara, Chiho
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/231,517
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/375, 395/650, 395/200.04, 395/330
• US Class Current: 709/202
• 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 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A cooperative information processing system in which a cooperative execution application program can utilize an auxiliary application program that is being executed locally. The communication control program has the request conversion unit, the input conversion unit and the server-dependent information table. The communication control program utilizes the server-dependent information table to interpret the format of an inter-application message between the sites and carries out a proper conversion. Thus, communication between the cooperative execution application program and the auxiliary application program locally executed at a specific site, such as for example, the Japanese inputting front end program, is made possible.

Claims

1. A cooperative information processing method wherein an inter-application program message issued by an application program operating on a computer is transmitted to a window server operating on others of a plurality of computers, to cooperatively display a screen display of said application program on said plurality of computers, and a communication message generated as a result of an input to said application program issued by one of said plurality of computers is received and multiplexed and a multiplexed result is transmitted to said application program, to cooperatively execute said application program on said plurality of computers, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said communication message generated as a result of the input to said application program by utilizing an auxiliary program which is a program executed locally in one of said plurality of computers for directly communicating with said window server without going through any other program;

based on predetermined server-dependent information on a format of a communication message of said inter-application program, interpreting a format of said communication message and converting said communication message to a communication message format for a server on a destination computer; and

transmitting said converted communication message to said window server, to cooperatively execute said application program on said plurality of computers.

2. A cooperative information processing method according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary program is a character inputting front end program.

3. A cooperative information processing method in a cooperative information processing system, having a plurality of computers connected with a communication network, and comprising a primary site in which an application program is executed, secondary sites which participate in a cooperative work of said application program, a server provided at each of said sites for processing communication between said sites, and communication control means for receiving a communication message issued by said application program, converting server-dependent information included in said communication message and broadcasting the communication message to said servers of all other participants, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, in said communication control means, a communication message from said primary site;

utilizing a server-dependent information table provided in advance for managing a correspondence relationship of dependent information of each of said servers, interpreting said communication message generated as a result of input to said application program by utilizing an auxiliary program that is cooperatively utilized by said application program, for directly communicating with said each of said servers without going through any other program;

converting server-dependent information included in said communication message; and

broadcasting said communication message to said servers of other participants.

4. A cooperative information processing method in a cooperative information processing system, having a plurality of computers connected with a communication network, and comprising a primary site in which an application program is executed, secondary sites which participate in a cooperative work of said application program, a server provided at each of said sites for processing communication between said sites, and communication control means for receiving a communication message generated as a result of input to said application program by utilizing an auxiliary program and issued by said application program, converting server-dependent information included in said communication message and broadcasting the communication message to said servers of all other participants, said method comprising the steps of:

managing, in said communication control means which has a server-dependent information table, a correspondence relationship of dependent information of each of said servers;

when a request message has been received from said application program;

converting said server-dependent information included in said request message by referring to said server-dependent information table at a server-dependent information conversion unit of said communication control means,

executing a conversion processing of said request message at an inter-application message conversion unit, and

transmitting said request message after conversion to said servers of said secondary sites; and

when an event message has been received from one of said secondary servers;

converting server-dependent information included in said event message by referring to said server-dependent information table at said server-dependent information conversion unit of said communication control means,

executing a conversion processing of said message at said inter-application message conversion unit, and

transmitting said message after conversion to said application program.

5. A cooperative information processing method according to claim 4, wherein said communication control means receives a communication message issued by said application program, and by using a server-dependent information table provided in advance for managing a correspondence relationship of dependent information of each of said servers, interprets a communication message defined by an auxiliary program which is a program executed locally in one of said plurality of computers for directly communicating with said window server without going through any other program, and is cooperatively utilized by said application program, converts server-dependent information included in said communication message and broadcasts said communication message to said servers of other participants.

6. A cooperative information processing method according to claim 4, wherein said cooperative execution application program connects with an auxiliary program to be utilized, which is a program executed locally in one of said plurality of computers for directly communicating with said window server without going through any other program, and transmits to said auxiliary program server-dependent information including an identifier, position and size of a server window to be used for conversion by an inter-application communication,

a window server program transmits a message to said auxiliary program,

said auxiliary program transmits a converted string to said window server program as an inter-application message sending request, and

said communication control means, which has received said message from said window server programs, converts an identifier of destination of said message and a message type identifier so as to be interpreted by said application program, by using said server-dependent information table, and then transmits said message to said application program.

7. A cooperative information processing apparatus wherein an inter-application program message issued by an application program operating on a computer is transmitted to a window server operating on other computers, to cooperatively display a screen display of one application program on a plurality of computers, and a communication message generated as a result of an input to said application program issued by one of said plurality of computers is received and multiplexed and a multiplexed result is transmitted to said application program, to cooperatively execute said application program on said plurality of computers, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said communication message generated as a result of an input to said application program by utilizing an auxiliary program which is executed locally in one of said plurality of computers for directly communicating with said window server without going through any other program;

means for interpreting a format of said communication message and converting said communication message to a communication message format for a server on a destination computer based on predetermined server-dependent information on a format of said communication message of an inter-application program; and

means for transmitting said converted communication message to said application program, in order to cooperatively execute said application program on said plurality of computers.

8. A cooperative information processing apparatus in a cooperative information processing system, having a plurality of computers connected with a communication network, and including a primary site in which an application program is executed, secondary sites which participate in a cooperative work of said application program, and a server provided at each of said sites for processing communication between said sites, and each of said sites includes communication control means for receiving a communication message issued by said application program, converting server-dependent information included in said communication message and broadcasting to said servers of all other participants, wherein said communication control means comprises:

a server-dependent information table for managing a correspondence relationship of dependent information of each server; and

an inter-application message conversion unit for receiving a communication message generated as a result of input to said application program by utilizing an auxiliary program and issued by said application program, interpreting said communication message defined by said auxiliary program which is cooperatively used by said application program for directly communicating with said window server without going through any other program, and converting server-dependent information included in said communication message.

9. A cooperative information processing apparatus including an application program, window servers and communication control means for controlling receiving and transmitting of a communication message with said application program which works cooperatively, wherein said communication control means includes:

a server interface unit connected with a plurality of servers corresponding to participants of said cooperative work;

a server-dependent information conversion unit for managing a correspondence relationship of server-dependent information, converting server-dependent information included in a request message according to a destination server, and properly converting server-dependent information included in an event message defined in advance by a window system, according to a transmission originating server, and a request conversion unit including an inter-application message conversion unit for interpreting said communication message and converting server-dependent information included in said communication message,

an input conversion unit including said server-dependent information conversion unit and said inter-application message conversion unit; and

a server-dependent information table storing a correspondence relationship in each server between server-dependent information defined by said window system and server-dependent information included in said communication message.

10. A cooperative information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said server-dependent information table includes a program identifier and a message type identifier.

11. A cooperative information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said request conversion unit, input conversion unit and server-dependent information table for executing an interpreting processing of said inter-application message can be added and modified as modules.