Methods and systems for using external display devices with a mobile computing device

• US 9,241,062 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Khalid, Shafiqul, Benson, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Wing
• Application Number:
  US12/469,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• 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 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/14 Semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• 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 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 : including more than one display unit

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for using external display devices with a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may be repurposed to display a virtual input device for interacting with a resource with output data being displayed on an external display device.

Claims

1. A method of repurposing a mobile computing device as a virtual input device for a first resource being displayed on an external display device comprising:

displaying, by a mobile computing device, on a display of the mobile computing device, output data for a first resource executing on the mobile computing device;

determining, by the mobile computing device, that an external display device has been connected to the mobile computing device;

displaying, by the mobile computing device, on the external display device output data for the first resource executing on the mobile device, responsive to the determination;

transmitting, by the mobile computing device to a server, data indicating input capabilities of the mobile computing device and input requirements of the first resource;

receiving, by the mobile computing device from the server, a second resource executable by the mobile computing device to repurpose the mobile computing device as a first virtual input device for the first resource, the second resource selected by the server responsive to an identification by the server of the input capabilities of the mobile computing device and input requirements of the first resource;

executing, by the mobile computing device, the second resource to repurpose the mobile computing device as the first virtual input device for the first resource executing on the mobile device; and

delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, a third resource that generates a second virtual input device in conjunction with the first virtual input device of the second resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that generates a virtual keyboard, virtual track pad, virtual pointing device, virtual camera, virtual microphone, virtual point-of-sale device, virtual speaker, virtual headphone jack, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that allows user interaction with output data of the first resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that transmits an identification of a user interaction with at least one of the first virtual input device or the second virtual input device to the first resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that generates at least one user interaction element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that redirects user interactions with at least one of the first virtual input device or the second virtual input device to the input capabilities of the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that correlates a location of a touch input with a displayed user interaction element.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource for display in conjunction with the first resource on a single display surface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, the second resource that generates a third virtual input device for a second external device connected to the mobile computing device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, by the mobile computing device, a type of virtual input to display using the second resource based on a type of interaction supported by the first resource.

10. A system for repurposing a mobile computing device as a virtual input device for a first resource being displayed on an external display device comprising:

an external display device;

a mobile computing device;

a server;

a client agent executing on the mobile computing device to;

display on a display of the mobile computing device, output data for a first resource executing on the mobile computing device,

determine that the external display device has been connected to the mobile computing device,

display on the external display device output data for a first resource executing on the mobile device, responsive to the determination; and

a server agent executing on the server to;

receive data indicating input capabilities of the mobile computing device and data indicating input requirements of the first resource;

identify, responsive to the input capabilities of the mobile computing device and input requirements of the first resource a second resource to repurpose the mobile computing device as a first virtual input device for the first resource;

transmit to the mobile computing device the second resource;

delivers a third resource that generates a second virtual input device in conjunction with the first virtual input device of the second resource; and

wherein the mobile computing device executes the second resource to repurpose the mobile computing device as the first virtual input device for the first resource executing on the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource generates a virtual keyboard, virtual track pad, virtual pointing device, virtual camera, virtual microphone, virtual point-of-sale device, virtual speaker, virtual headphone jack, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource allows user interaction with output data of the first resource.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource transmits an identification of a user interaction with at least one of the first virtual input device or the second virtual input device to the first resource.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource generates at least one user interaction element.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource redirects user interactions with at least one of the first virtual input device or the second virtual input device to the input capabilities of the mobile computing device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource correlates a location of a touch input with a displayed user interaction element.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource is displayed in conjunction with the first resource on a single display surface.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the second resource generates a third virtual input device for a second external device connected to the mobile computing device.

19. A method of repurposing a mobile computing device as a virtual input device for a first resource being displayed on an external display device comprising:

displaying, by a mobile computing device, on a display of the mobile computing device, output data for a first resource executing on the mobile computing device;

determining, by the mobile computing device, that an external display device has been connected to the mobile computing device;

displaying, by the mobile computing device, output data for the first resource executing on the mobile device, on the external display device, responsive to the determination;

transmitting, by the mobile computing device to a server, data indicating input capabilities of the mobile computing device and input requirements of the first resource;

receiving, by the mobile computing device from the server, a second resource executable by the mobile computing device to generate a first virtual input device displayed on the display of the mobile computing device for the first resource, the second resource selected by the server responsive to an identification by the server of the input capabilities of the mobile computing device and input requirements of the first resource;

executing, by the mobile computing device, the second resource to generate a first virtual input device displayed on the display of the mobile computing device, responsive to the determination;

delivering, by the server to the mobile computing device, a third resource that generates a second virtual input device in conjunction with the first virtual input device of the second resource; and

transmitting, by the second resource to the first resource, a user interaction with at least one of the first virtual input device or the second virtual input device.