User interface virtualization techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9304662-B2
Application number	US-201213658291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 25, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

User interface virtualization describes a technique for providing a user with access to one computing device from another computing device, while translating the ergonomics of one computer's user interface style into the ergonomics of the other's. An agent running on a remote desktop exchanges metadata and input events with a corresponding client running on a client device that accepts a “touch and swipe” style input. The agent running on the remote desktop may use an interface interaction API or software framework to programmatically manipulate the user interface of the remote desktop and act as a proxy for the corresponding client. The client constructs and displays native graphical user interface elements at the client device that are virtual representations of a corresponding user interface element at the remote desktop, including file dialogs, clipboards, start menus, and task switchers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of generating a local graphical user interface (GUI) on a touch screen of a client device that is connected to a server device having a remote desktop, the method comprising:
receiving, from the server device, user interface (UI) metadata that specifies content of a GUI element in the remote desktop, and a base image comprising a graphical representation of the remote desktop;
generating, at the client device, a native GUI element based on received UI metadata, wherein the native GUI element comprises a virtual representation of a corresponding GUI element of the remote desktop, wherein the native GUI element includes a copy of content shown in an application within the remote desktop, wherein the copy of continent is provided by the received UI metadata;
generating a local GUI to be displayed on the touch screen of the client device, the local GUI comprising the base image received from the server device and the native GUI element rendered on top of the base image; and
responsive to detecting that the native GUI element has been manipulated through a touch input, modifying a selection region of the native GUI element that indicates a selected portion of the copy of content by using touch input to resize the selection region, and transmitting, to the server device, an input event indicating a manipulation of the corresponding GUI element in the remote GUI by the client device, the input event indicating a selection of a corresponding portion of the content shown in the application within the remote desktop, the input event also indicating a clipboard operation at the remote desktop based on a local selection of the copy of content, as specified by the selection region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated native GUI element includes a listing of available files based on the received UI metadata that specify a plurality of file objects available at the remote desktop; wherein the step of transmitting the input event further comprises:
responsive to detecting that the native GUI element has been manipulated through touch input to select one from the listing of available files, transmitting a selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of file objects available at the remote desktop.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated native GUI element comprises a launcher GUI element having contents of a start menu of the remote desktop as provided by the received UI metadata; wherein the step of transmitting the input event further comprises:
responsive to detecting that the native GUI element has been manipulated through touch input, transmitting the input event indicating selection from the contents of the start menu of the remote desktop.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated native GUI element is configured to display a plurality of images representing a plurality of windows listed in a task switcher GUI element within the remote desktop; wherein the step of transmitting the input event further comprises:
responsive to detecting that the native GUI element has been manipulated through touch input to select one of the plurality of images, transmitting the input event indicating a selection of one of the plurality of windows in task switcher GUI element of the remote desktop.

5. A method of providing access to a remote desktop of a server device having a guest operating system executing therein, the method comprising:
generating user interface (UI) metadata specifying a graphical user interface (GUI) element in the remote desktop of the server device using an application programming interface of the guest operating system configured to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device;
transmitting a base image of the GUI and the generated UI metadata to a touch input client device connected to the server device;
receiving, from the touch input client device, an input event indicating manipulation of the GUI element in the remote desktop of the server device; and
invoking the application programming interface to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device according to the received input event;
detecting invocation, by an application running in the remote desktop, of the GUI element comprising a file dialog configured to display a plurality of files in a filesystem of the guest operating system and enable selection of one of the plurality of files;
in response to detecting the invocation of the file dialog, generating the UI metadata specifying the plurality of files displayed in the file dialog,
wherein the step of generating the UI metadata specifying the plurality of files displayed in the file dialog further comprises: generating the UI metadata specifying a subset of the plurality of files determined to satisfy a file filter specified by the file dialog.

6. A method of providing access to a remote desktop of a server device having a guest operating system executing therein, the method comprising:
generating user interface (UI) metadata specifying a graphical user interface (GUI) element in the remote desktop of the server device using an application programming interface of the guest operating system configured to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device;
transmitting a base image of the GUI and the generated UI metadata to a touch input client device connected to the server device;
receiving, from the touch input client device, an input event indicating manipulation of the GUI element in the remote desktop of the server device;
detecting invocation, by an application running in the remote desktop, of the GUI element comprising a file dialog configured to display a plurality of files in a filesystem of the guest operating system and enable selection of one of the plurality of files;
in response to detecting the invocation of the file dialog, generating the UI metadata specifying the plurality of files displayed in the file dialog; and
invoking the application programming interface to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device according to the received input event, the invoking the application programming interface further comprising invoking the application programming interface to insert a filepath provided by the received input event into a field of the file dialog.

7. A method of providing access to a remote desktop of a server device having a guest operating system executing therein, the method comprising:
generating user interface (UI) metadata specifying a graphical user interface (GUI) element in the remote desktop of the server device using an application programming interface of the guest operating system configured to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device, wherein the generated UI metadata comprises content visible within bounds of a viewport GUI element of an application on the remote desktop and retrieved using the application programming interface;
transmitting a base image of the GUI and the generated UI metadata to a touch input client device connected to the server device;
receiving, from the touch input client device, an input event indicating manipulation of the GUI element in the remote desktop of the server device;
invoking the application programming interface to programmatically manipulate the remote desktop of the server device according to the received input event, wherein the step of invoking the application programming interface further comprises invoking the application programming interface to select a portion of the content visible within bounds of the viewport GUI element according to the received input event.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
invoking the application programming interface to execute an operatio

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Beveridge Daniel James

Classifications

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F16/957 Primary

  Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation · CPC title

• G06F17/30899

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title