Method and apparatus for remote input/output in a computer system

• US 8,560,753 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradici Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Teradici Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hobbs, David Victor, Main, Ian Cameron
• Primary Examiner(s): SNYDER, STEVEN G
• Application Number:
  US12/383,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• 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: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A method and system for providing computer input/output (I/O) functionality within a remote computing environment. The system comprises a host audio controller and a remote audio controller for bridging audio data between a host computing system and at least one remote audio device, a host USB controller and a remote USB controller for bridging USB data between the host computing system and at least one remote USB device, and an encoder module and a remote display decoder for bridging a digital video signal from the host computing system to a remote display, wherein the host audio controller, the host USB controller, and the encoder module are communicatively coupled to the remote audio controller, the remote USB controller, and the remote display decoder, respectively, via a computer network.

Claims

1. A system for providing computer input/output (I/O) functionality within a remote computing environment, comprising:

a first combination comprising a host audio controller and a remote audio controller, the first combination enabled to bridge, via an Internet Protocol (IP) network, audio data between a processing system of a host computing system and at least one remote audio device;

a second combination comprising a host Universal Serial Bus (USB) controller and a remote USB controller, the second combination enabled to bridge, via the IP network, USB data between the processing system and at least one remote USB device by enabling a transfer of USB transfer descriptors between the processing system and the remote USB controller, the remote USB controller enabled to process the USB transfer descriptors, the host USB controller enabled to present an industry-standard compliant USB controller interface to the processing system; and

a third combination comprising an encoder module and a remote display decoder, the third combination enabled to bridge, via the IP network, a digital video signal and a Display Data Channel (DDC) between the processing system and a remote display, the processing system enabled to access specifications of the remote display via the DDC.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the IP network comprises an Ethernet network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital video signal comprises at least one of a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) signal, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) signal, a Digital Packet Video Link (DPVL) signal, or a DISPLAYPORT interface signal.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a general purpose input/output (GPIO) module and a remote GPIO module for bridging GPIO signals between the host computing system and at least one remote GPIO device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoder module and the remote display decoder provide a display management channel, the display management channel comprising the display data channel (DDC), between the host computing system and the remote display.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the encoder module encodes the digital video signal in real time.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein an encoding method of the encoder module is selected based on at least one of an image type, image changes, a display priority, or network bandwidth availability.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoder module and the remote display decoder synchronize the digital video signal and a reconstructed digital video signal at the remote display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the digital video signal and the reconstructed digital video signal are synchronized to have a delay of less than one frame period.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein bridging audio data comprises communicating commands between the host computing system and the at least one remote audio device, wherein at least one of the at least one remote audio device comprises an audio codec.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein bridging audio data comprises bridging the host audio controller and the remote audio controller at an audio buffer management layer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the host audio controller encodes a remote-directed audio data stream to generate an encoded remote-directed audio data stream and the remote audio controller decodes the encoded remote-directed audio data stream.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote audio controller encodes at least one host-directed audio data stream to generate at least one encoded host-directed audio data stream and the host audio controller decodes the at least one encoded host-directed audio data stream.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein an audio encoding method is determined based on available network bandwidth.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the host audio controller presents an industry-standard digital audio controller interface to the host computing system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein bridging the USB data comprises bridging the host USB controller and the remote USB controller at a USB buffer management layer.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein bridging the USB data comprises communicating USB descriptor contents between the host computing system and the at least one remote USB device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein bridging the USB data comprises communicating isochronous USB data between the host computing system and the at least one remote USB device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the USB data is transmitted between the host USB controller and the remote USB controller based on a USB data type priority.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the industry-standard compliant USB controller interface comprises one of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) interface, a PCI Express interface, an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI), a Universal Host Controller Interface (UHCI), a Wireless Host Controller Interface or open host controller interface (OHCI).

21. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, or the remote display are able to operate as if locally connected to the host computing system.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display are able to operate as if locally connected to the host computing system.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computing system is able to operate using device and controller drivers intended for local connections of the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the audio data, the USB data, or image data corresponding to the digital video signal are prioritized for communication.

48. The system of claim 1, wherein the encoder module is enabled to compress the digital video signal in response to an available network bandwidth of the IP network and a network bandwidth requirement of the audio data and the USB data.

25. A method for providing computer input/output (I/O) functionality within a remote computing environment, comprising:

bridging, by a first combination comprising a host audio controller and a remote audio controller, via an Internet Protocol (IP) network, audio data between a processing system of a host computing system and at least one remote audio device;

bridging, by a second combination comprising a host Universal Serial Bus (USB) controller and a remote USB controller, via the IP network, USB data between the processing system and at least one remote USB device by enabling a transfer of USB transfer descriptors between the processing system and the remote USB controller, the remote USB controller enabled to process the USB transfer descriptors, wherein the host USB controller is enabled to present an industry-standard compliant USB controller interface to the processing system; and

bridging, by a third combination comprising an encoder module and a remote display decoder, via the IP network, a digital video signal and a Display Data Channel (DDC) between the processing system and a remote display, the processing system enabled to access specifications of the remote display via the DDC.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the IP network comprises an Ethernet network.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein all software on the host computing system operates substantially similar to an operation of all software on the host computing system when the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display are locally connected to the host computing system.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein bridging the audio data comprises bridging digital audio data between the host computing system and a remote audio codec.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein bridging the audio data, bridging the USB data, and bridging the digital video signal comprise communicating control data, the audio data, the USB data, and the digital video signal using at least one physical interface of the host computing system as a communication end point, the at least one physical interface used when communicating with local devices equivalent to the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising bridging general purpose input/output (GPIO) signals between the host computing system and at least one remote GPIO device.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the encoder module and the remote display decoder provide a display management channel between the host computing system and the remote display, the display management channel comprising the Display Data Channel (DDC).

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

encoding the digital video signal to generate an encoded digital video signal; and

decoding the encoded digital video signal.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein encoding comprises at least one of encoding the digital video signal in real time or a lossless encoding of the digital video signal.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein encoding comprises selecting an encoding method based on at least one of an image type, image changes, a display priority, or network bandwidth availability.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein encoding comprises encoding quality improvements for stationary image partitions that are lossy encoded.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

encoding at least one remote-directed audio data stream to generate at least one encoded remote-directed audio data stream; and

decoding the at least one encoded remote-directed audio data stream.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

encoding at least one host-directed audio data stream to generate at least one encoded host-directed audio data stream; and

decoding the at least one encoded host-directed audio data stream.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein encoding the at least one remote-directed audio data stream and encoding the at least one host-directed audio data stream comprise determining an audio encoding method based on available network bandwidth.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein bridging the audio data comprises bridging the host audio controller and the remote audio controller at an audio buffer management layer.

40. The method of claim 28, wherein bridging the audio data comprises communicating control information between the host computing system and the remote audio codec.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein bridging the audio data comprises presenting a first industry-standard hardware audio controller interface to the host computing system and a second industry-standard hardware audio controller interface to the remote audio codec.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein bridging the USB data comprises bridging the host USB controller and the remote USB controller at a USB buffer management layer.

43. The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting the USB data based on a USB transfer type, the USB transfer type comprising one of bulk, interrupt, control or isochronous.

44. The method of claim 25, wherein bridging the USB data comprises presenting the industry-standard compliant USB controller interface to the processing system and at least a second industry-standard USB controller interface to the at least one remote USB device.

45. The method of claim 25, wherein an operation of the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display comprises a user-perception equivalent to a local operation comprising local connections of the at least one remote audio device, the at least one remote USB device, and the remote display to the host computing system.

47. The method of claim 25, further comprising prioritizing at least two of the audio data, the USB data, or image data corresponding to the digital video signal.

46. The method of 45, wherein the operation comprises a user-imperceptible delay and a user-imperceptible quality reduction with respect to the local operation.