System and method for providing a remote user interface for an application executing on a computing device

• US 7,844,442 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exent Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Exent Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Tzruya, Yoav M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silver; David
• Application Number:
  US11/204,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 703/22, 709/227
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

A system that includes a computing device configured to execute a software application and at least one remote user interface (UI) communicatively coupled to the computing device via a data communication network. The remote UI includes at least one hardware device such as a video, audio or user input/output (I/O) device. The computing device is further configured to emulate the hardware device locally and to redirect function calls generated by the software application for the emulated local hardware device to the remote UI for processing by the hardware device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a remote user interface for a computing device, comprising:

receiving capability information at the computing device from a remote user interface (UI) that is connected to the computing device via a network connection, wherein the capability information describes at least software capabilities of the remote UI;

emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information by creating a software stack on the computing device;

executing a software application within a sandbox environment on the computing device;

and

capturing by the sandbox environment commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to the execution of the software application and redirecting the captured commands to the remote UI;

receiving updated capability information from the remote UI; and

dynamically modifying the software stack based on the updated capability information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises emulating a graphics device and wherein redirecting the captured commands comprises redirecting graphics commands.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises emulating an audio device and wherein redirecting the captured commands comprises redirecting audio commands.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises emulating a user input/output (I/O) device and wherein redirecting the captured commands comprises redirecting control commands.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving control commands from the remote UI; and

providing the received control commands to the software application or to the software stack.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to execution of the software application comprises:

intercepting the commands by a software hook installed in the software stack.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

installing the software hook between selected layers of the software stack wherein the layers are selected based on the received capability information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein dynamically modifying the software stack based on the updated capability information comprises:

dynamically installing a new software hook between selected layers of the software stack wherein the layers are selected based on the updated capability information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second capability information from a second remote UI at the computing device;

emulating capabilities described by the received second capability information by creating a second software stack on the computing device;

executing a second software application on the computing device; and

redirecting commands generated by the second software application for the second software stack or generated by the second software stack responsive to execution of the second software application to the second remote UI.

10. A computing device, comprising:

means for receiving capability information from a remote user interface (UI) that is connected to the computing device via a network connection, wherein the capability information describes at least software capabilities of the remote UI;

means for emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information by creating a software stack on the computing device;

means for executing a software application within a sandbox environment; and

means for capturing by the sandbox environment commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to execution of the software application and redirecting the captured commands to the remote UI;

means for receiving updated capability information from the remote UI; and

means for dynamically modifying the software stack based on the updated capability information.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the means for emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for emulating a graphics device and wherein the means for redirecting the captured commands comprises means for redirecting graphics commands.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the means for emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for emulating an audio device and wherein the means for redirecting the captured commands comprises means for redirecting audio commands.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the means for emulating the capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for emulating a user input/output (I/O) device and wherein the means for redirecting the captured commands comprises means for redirecting control commands.

14. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving control commands from the remote UI; and

means for providing the received control commands to the software application or to the software stack.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the means for capturing commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to the execution of the software application comprises:

a software hook installed in the software stack.

16. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for installing the software hook between selected layers of the software stack wherein the layers are selected based on the received capability information.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the means for dynamically modifying the software stack based on the updated capability information comprises:

means for dynamically installing a new software hook between selected layers of the software stack wherein the layers are selected based on the updated capability information.

18. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving second capability information from a second remote UI at the computing device;

means for emulating capabilities described by the received second capability information by creating a second software stack on the computing device;

means for executing a second software application on the computing device; and

means for redirecting commands generated by the second software application for the second software stack or generated by the second software stack responsive to the execution of the second software application to the second remote UI.

19. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling a computing device to receive capability information from a remote user interface (UI) connected to the computing device via a network connection, wherein the capability information describes at least software capabilities of the remote UI;

means for enabling the computing device to emulate the capabilities described by the received capability information by creating a software stack; and

means for enabling the computing device to capture commands generated by a software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to execution of the software application and redirect the captured commands to the remote UI, the software application executing within a sandbox environment;

means for enabling the computing device to received updated capability information from the remote UI; and

means for enabling the computing device to dynamically modify the software stack based on the updated capability information.

20. The computing program product of claim 19, wherein the means for enabling the computing device to emulate capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for enabling the computing device to emulate a graphics device and wherein the means for enabling the computing device to redirect the captured commands comprises means for enabling the computing device to redirect graphics commands.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the means for enabling the computing device to emulate capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for enabling the computing device to emulate an audio device and wherein the means for enabling the computing device to redirect the captured commands comprises means for enabling the computing device to redirect audio commands.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the means for enabling the computing device to emulate capabilities described by the received capability information comprises means for enabling the computing device to emulate a user input/output (I/O) device and wherein the means for enabling the computing device to redirect the captured commands comprises means for enabling the computing device to redirect control commands.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising:

means for enabling the computing device to receive control commands from the remote UI; and

means for enabling the computing device to provide the received control commands to the software application or to the software stack.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the means for enabling the computing device to capture commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to execution of the software application comprises:

a software hook installed in the software stack.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising:

means for enabling the computing device to install the software hook between selected layers of the software stack wherein the layers are selected based on the received capability information.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the means for enabling the computing device to dynamically modify the software stack based on the updated capability information comprises:

means for enabling the computing device to dynamically install a new software hook between selected layers of the software stack based on the updated capability information.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

means for enabling the computing device to receive second capability information from a second remote UI;

means for enabling the computing device to emulate capabilities described by the received second capability information by creating a second software stack on the computing device; and

means for enabling the computing device to redirect commands generated by a second software application for the second software stack or generated by the second software stack responsive to execution of the second software application to the second remote UI.

28. A system comprising:

a computing device configured to execute a software application in a sandbox environment;

a remote user interface (UI) communicatively coupled to the computing device via a data communication network and configured to publish capability information thereto, wherein the capability information describes at least software capabilities of the remote UI;

wherein the computing device is further configured to emulate capabilities described by the published capability information by creating a software stack and wherein the sandbox environment is configured to redirect commands generated by the software application for the software stack or generated by the software stack responsive to execution of the software application to the remote UI; and

wherein the computing device is further configured to receive updated capability information from the remote UI and dynamically modify the software stack based on the updated capability information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote UI includes a video device, the computing device is configured to emulate the capabilities described by the received capability information by emulating the video device, and wherein the redirected commands are processed by the video device within the remote UI to generate video content.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the remote UI further includes a display that displays the video content.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a display device communicatively coupled to the remote UI that displays the video content.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote UI includes an audio device, the computing device is configured to emulate the capabilities described by the received capability information by emulating the audio device, and wherein the redirected commands are processed by the audio device within the remote UI to generate audio content.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the remote UI further includes one or more speakers that play the audio content.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a device communicatively coupled to the remote UI that plays the audio content.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote UI includes a user input/output (I/O) device, the computing device is configured to emulate the capabilities described by the received capability information by emulating the user I/O device, and wherein the redirected commands are processed by the user I/O device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive control commands from the remote UI, the control commands originating from the user I/O device, and to redirect the control commands to the software application or to the software stack.

37. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote UI is communicatively coupled to the computing device via a local area network.

38. The system of claim 28, wherein the remote UI is communicatively coupled to the computing device via a wide area network.

39. The system of claim 28, wherein the published capability information comprises one or more of graphics capability information, audio capability information, and user I/O device capability information.

40. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a second remote UI communicatively coupled to the computing device via the data communication network and to publish second capability information thereto;

wherein the computing device is further configured to execute a second software application, to emulate capabilities described by the published second capability information by creating a second software stack, and to redirect commands generated by the second software application for the second software stack or generated by the second software stack responsive to execution of the second software application to the second remote UI.