Remotely controlling and viewing of software applications

• US 8,095,936 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Avery, Marcus Leo, Hatfield, Ryan Daniel, Grantham, Samuel Cooper, Kajita, Marcos Suuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US11/700,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 717/127, 717/120, 715/736
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an input for a software application that is executing on a controlled device. The method also includes transmitting, over a network, an identification of an event for the software application, that is a result of the input, to a controller device to remotely control execution of the software application. The identification of the event comprises an identification of at least one of a control and the input for the control.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller device, an input for a software application that is executing on a controlled device at a remote location, wherein a copy of the software application is not executing on the controller device and the controller device comprises a display that reproduces at least a graphical image, based on non-pixel-based reproduction data, that is an output of the software application executing on the controlled device;

transmitting, over a network, an identification of an event for the software application, that is a result of the input, to the controlled device to remotely control execution of the software application, wherein the identification of the event comprises data for control of the software application;

processing the control data to control execution of the software application, including causing the controlled device to perform one or more actions at the remote location selected from monitoring or controlling one or more parameters of mechanical equipment coupled to the controlled device; and

transmitting an update event to the controller device in response to processing the control data at the controlled device, wherein the update event is used to update the graphical image on the display of the controller device based on non-pixel-based reproduction data provided from the controlled device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing, by the software application on the controlled device, the data for control of the software application.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising wherein monitoring or controlling the one or more parameters of mechanical equipment includes controlling an operation at a wellsite for recovery of hydrocarbons.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising viewing the reproduction of the graphical image on the display of the controller device, wherein the graphical image is constructed at the controller device based on non-pixel-based data received from the controlled device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the network, data transmitted from the controlled device to the controller device;

and decoding a message, event, or graphical image at the controller device based on the data received from the controlled device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the controller device, a plurality of inputs for a plurality of software applications that are executing on one or more controlled devices at the remote location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input received at the controller device is generated, at least in part, from local user input at the remote site and entered using the controlled device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, over the network, an identification of the software application being executed on the controlled device to at least a second controller device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, over the network, one or more ping messages from the controller device to the controlled device to establish communication with the controlled device.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a controlled device, an identification of one or more events used an to control a software application executing on the controlled device, wherein the identification of the one or more events is based on input from a controller device that is remote from the controlled device, wherein the controller device comprises a display that reproduces at least a graphical image that is an output of the software application executing on the controlled device, wherein the controlled device does not provide pixel-based reproduction data to the controller device for reproduction of the graphical image for the software application;

processing input the identification of the one or more events to control execution of the software application;

monitoring or controlling one or more parameters of mechanical equipment coupled to the controlled device with the execution of the software application; and

transmitting an update event to the controller device in response to processing the identification of the one or more events at the controlled device, wherein the update event is used to update the graphical image on the display of the controller device based on non-pixel-based reproduction data provided from the controlled device.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the input is generated from a user input on the controller device, wherein the user input is inputted using the reproduction of the graphical image on the display of the controller device.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user input is from a group consisting of a selection of a button being displayed on the reproduction of the graphical image, data input into a text box being displayed on the reproduction of the graphical image, voice data input from a microphone, and data input from a data file.

13. A system comprising:

a controller device, comprising;

a display configured to output a graphical image, based on non-pixel-based data, reproducing a graphic output for a software application executing on a controlled device at a remote location; and

an application control module operably coupled to the processor and the display, the application control module operated in connection with the processor and configured to process an input, entered into the controller device, for control of the software application at the remote location, wherein the software application is not executing on the controller device, wherein the application control module is configured to transmit, over a network, an identification of an event for the software application, that is a result of the input, wherein the identification of the event comprises data for control of the software application;

wherein the data for control of the software application is provided from the controller device and is configured to be processed at the controlled device to perform one or more actions at the remote location, the one or more actions including monitoring or controlling one or more parameters of mechanical equipment coupled to the controller device; and

wherein the controller device is configured to receive an update event, transmitted by the controlled device, in response to processing the software application control data at the controlled device, wherein the update event is used to update the graphical image on the display of the controller device based on non-pixel-based reproduction data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller device further comprises an input device from a group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and auto-generated programmatic input, wherein the application control module is configured to receive the input from the input device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the software application is configured to control and monitor one or more operations of the mechanical equipment at a wellsite for recovery of hydrocarbons.

16. A system comprising:

a controlled device, comprising;

a processor to execute a software application that is controllable by a controller device coupled to the controlled device over a network, wherein the software application is configured to receive an event message that includes input for the software application from the controller device, wherein the controller device generates input for the software application independent of executing the software application, wherein the event message comprises an identification of the input and data for the input;

wherein execution of the software application, including processing the identification of the input, results in monitoring or controlling one or more parameters of mechanical equipment coupled to the controlled device;

wherein the controlled device is configured to provide non-pixel-based reproduction data to the controller device for display of a graphical image that is an output of the software application;

and wherein the controlled device is further configured to transmit an update event to the controller device in response to processing the identification of the input, wherein the update event is used to update the displayed graphical image based on non-pixel-based reproduction data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the event message does not include pixel-based reproduction data.

18. The apparatus system of claim 16, wherein the software application is configured to transmit a different event message to the controller device, the different event message used to update a reproduction of a graphical image on a display of the controller device, wherein the graphical image comprises a graphical output for the software application.

19. The apparatus system of claim 18, wherein the different event message is provided in response to the event message that includes the input for the software application.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the controlled device is at the surface of the Earth and near a wellsite, and wherein the software application is configured to control an operation of the mechanical equipment at the wellsite for recovery of hydrocarbons.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the controlled device is configured for processing a plurality of event messages received by the software application, including identifying whether an event message is requesting data regarding a state of the software application.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein controlling one or more parameters of mechanical equipment includes altering one or both of fluid flow or drill string rotation at a wellsite for drilling, evaluating or recovering hydrocarbons from downhole.