GB2364474A - Sharing resources over a network - Google Patents
Sharing resources over a network Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2364474A GB2364474A GB0102834A GB0102834A GB2364474A GB 2364474 A GB2364474 A GB 2364474A GB 0102834 A GB0102834 A GB 0102834A GB 0102834 A GB0102834 A GB 0102834A GB 2364474 A GB2364474 A GB 2364474A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- status information
- network
- status
- client computer
- user
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 230000009466 transformation Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000000844 transformation Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 229920001690 polydopamine Polymers 0.000 description 7
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000009877 rendering Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008676 import Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001131 transforming effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
- H04Q3/0016—Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
- H04Q3/0062—Provisions for network management
- H04Q3/0087—Network testing or monitoring arrangements
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13092—Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13098—Mobile subscriber
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13103—Memory
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13109—Initializing, personal profile
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13175—Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13196—Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13204—Protocols
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04Q—SELECTING
- H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
- H04Q2213/13389—LAN, internet
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
- Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
Abstract
A method of sharing resources over a network 1 to which a number of active client computers 3-5, 11, 12 are coupled. The method comprises periodically sending status information from said active client computers 3-5, 11, 12 of the network 1 to a central status server 2. At the status server 2, status information is recorded for the registered users of the active client computers. Whenever a new client computer becomes active in the network 1, the status information recorded for the user of the new client computer is determined, and sent to the new client computer. The new client computer is configured according to the received status information.
Description
M&C P51447GB 2364474 Sharing Resources over a Network
Field of the Invention
5 The present invention relates to the sharing of resources over a network.
BackUqund to the Invention With the increasing interest in the Internet and advances in mobile telephone 10 technology, it is becoming increasingly common for people to access a "home" network or computer from a variety of locations, using a variety of devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, digital TVs, PDAs, WAP phones etc.
In conventional computer networks (e.g. LANs), so-called "virtual desktops" are known 15 where the desktop configuration used by a user is recorded on a network server so that, wherever the user logs onto the network from, he is presented with his own desktop configuration. Using this desktop, the user can access files stored on the network server.
20 Statement of the Invention
According to the virtual desktop concept, when a user stops using one network computer and starts using another, he must have previously logged out of the first computer and must re-login to the network from the second computer, and open all 25 applications and documents again. For example, if a user wishes to continue working on a text file from the second computer, he will need to open a suitable word processor application and import the document into that file. It is not possible for the user to seamlessly move between the fist and second computers.
30 According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of sharing resources over a network to which a number of active client computers are coupled, the method comprising:
M&C P51447GB 2 periodically sending status information from said active client computers of the network to a central status server; at the status server, recording status information for the registered users of the active client computers; 5 whenever a new client computer becomes active in the network, determining the status information recorded for the user of the new client computer, sending the status information to the new client computer, and configuring the new client computer according to the received status information.
10 It will be understood that the status server maintains a session, using the status information, for each registered user rather than for each client computer. This facilitates the implementation of a roaming desktop for users. A newly connected client computer uses the status information received from the status server to reconstruct, as closely as possible, the desktop as last viewed by the user.
Typically, said status information which is sent periodically from client computers to the status server, defines the sessions which exist at the active client computers when the information is sent. For example, for a given client computer, the information may identify changes which have been made to a desktop since status information was last sent to the status server, e.g. new applications opened, applications closed, the position of a cursor in a viewed file. The status information may also identify changes made to a file open on the desktop since the file was last saved.
It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention may allow a network 25 user to move searnlessly between client computers, being presented at each new computer with substantially the same session as was being used at the previous computer, or a version of that session converted into a form suitable for presentation on the new client computer.
30 The network of the present invention may be single homogeneous network such as a LAN or a mobile telecommunications network. The network may alternatively be a composite network comprising several different sub-networks, for example a LAN, the Internet, and a mobile telecommunications network. The client computers may be any M&C P51447GB computer device including, but not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile phones/communicators, and/or digital televisions which allow a communication to access the network.
5 The central status server may be located in a LAN, for example a user's home LAN. Alternatively however, the status server may be located in the Internet, or in a mobile telecommunications network. Typically, a user registers with the session server using a password and/or other secure connection process.
10 Certain embodiments of the present invention may provide for the transfonnation of files at the status server between file formats. This may be necessary where two client computers used by the same user do not share a common application or device structure for processing a file. This may be achieved by adding mark-up transformations to a file to encode it into a format readable by the different applications or different devices.
15 The format may be one from the list of xmI (extended mark-up language), sgml (standard general mark-up language), and html (hypertext mark-up language). The choice of application to open a file may be made by the new client computer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a status server arranged in use to be coupled to a network, the status server comprising: an input for receiving status information sent periodically from client computers coupled to the network and which are active, said status information defining the sessions currently existing at the respective client computers; a memory, and first processing means for recording status information in the memory associated with the respective client computer users; second processing means for identifying recorded status information for newly active client computers on the basis of the users of the newly active client computers; and output means for sending the identified recorded status information to the newly 30 active client computers.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a client computer arranged in use to be connected to a network, the computer comprising:
M&C P51447GB 4 first processing means for periodically sending status information to a central status server of the network when the computer is active on the network, the status information defining the session existing at the client computer and/or changes to the session; and 5 second processing means for receiving status information from the central status server when the computer logs on to the network, and for configuring the computer in accordance with the received status information.
Brief Desgdption of the Drawings Figure I is a schematic representation of a network according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a flow chart showing a method of logging in to and out of the network of Figure 1.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Figure I illustrates a corporate Local Area Network (LAN) 1. The LAN I has a number of registered users who may access the LAN using any suitable device by entering a 20 password and user name. Shown in Figure 1 are a network server 2 and a plurality of client computers 3, 4, 5. The client computers may be for example desktop PCs and/or laptop computers.
The LAN 1 comprises an Internet server 6 which is coupled to the Internet 7 via an IP 25 gateway 8. The Internet is further coupled via another IP gateway 9 to a mobile telecommunications network 10. The teleconmiunications network 10 provides an access network for mobile terminals (such as terminals 11, 12) to the Internet and the LAN 1. The mobile terminals may be WAP phones, or PDAs, or palmtop or laptop computers with wireless phone connections. A registered user of the LAN 1 may 30 connect to the LAN via the telecommunications network 10 and the Internet 7 using his usemarne and password (and/or other security mechanisms).
M&C P51447GB For each registered user, a status server operating at the network server 2 maintains a state machine which records a session. This session identifies the desktop session which exists at the device currently being used by the user, or the desktop session which existed at the last device used by the user. The session identifies which files are open 5 on a device, the state of these files, and even the location of the cursor in the open files. When a user is logged onto the network (either directly or indirectly through the telecommunications network and the Internet), the device which he is using will periodically send status updates to the status server at the network server. The sending of updates may be initiated by the client computer itself, or as a result of a request (or 10 poll) received from the status server. The status updates identify changes made to a client computer's desktop since the last update was sent. This includes changes to any files which are open on the desktop.
When a registered user of the LAN I logs on to the LAN I from a device, the status 15 server identifies the user and recalls the status information recorded for that user. It then transmits this information to the device which the user is using. The device opens a new desktop configured using the received status information. Thereafter, until the user logs off from the device, status updates are sent periodically from the device to the status server.
If a user logs off of a device, closing all open applications as he does so, the session recorded at the status server will reflect this action, and when the user next logs on from the same or a different device, he will be presented with an empty desktop. However, if a user walks away from a device without logging off, or logs off without closing open 25 applications, when he logs onto the LAN with a new device, the status information received from the status server will cause the new device to display a desktop corresponding to that which the user left on the old device. The user is thus able to access a "roaming desktop".
30 It will be appreciated that if a user has two (or more) sessions running simultaneously on different devices, the status server may cause one of the sessions to be locked to prevent conflicts from arising. Alternatively however, the status server may cause status messages, received from an active device, to be forwarded to another idle device M&C PS 1447GB to which the user is logged on. The idle device receiving these messages may update its desktop accordingly in order to synchronise itself to the active device.
Clearly not all devices will run (or be capable or running) the same applications. For 5 example, a PDA may not be capable of running the same application as is run on a desktop PC. In this situation it may be necessary to use different applications to open the same file on different devices. In order to facilitate this, the status server may comprise or be coupled to a "Mediator" capable of performing transformations so that a file can be accessed by a variety of different applications. For example, a text document 10 formatted by a particular word processor application will be rendered into html or xmI so that it can be read by any word processor application, or indeed by any Internet browser. Similarly, if a WAP phone is used to access the LAN, the mediator will render the file in WML so that it can be accessed. This rendering may be done continuously, so that a rendered file is always available when a user logs on using a device which 15 cannot run the base application. Alternatively, rendering may only be done when a user logs on from a new device which requires that the file be rendered.
It is possible that in the near future the most common file format will be XML, in which case the transformations required will be from one XML variant to another. For 20 example, if a file is created at one client computer in XHTN4L format including GIF images and the new client computer has an application which supports only WML and WBMP (wireless bitmap) images, the Mediator must transform the file from XHTML to WML (including transforming the image files from GIF to WBMP).
25 Figure 2 is a flow diagram illustrating further the method of the present invention.
It will be appreciated by the person of sUl in the art that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. It can be envisaged for example that a mobile wireless terminal may 30 be coupled to the LAN 1 via a local wireless connection to a fixed network connection. For example, a PDA may communicate with the fixed connection via a BluetooffiTm or wireless LAN link, with status information being exchanged between the LAN I and M&C P51447GB the PDA via the local link. Such a mechanism may be used even where the PDA has a mobile telephone connection, for reasons of cost.
It has been mentioned that file format transformations may be required where a newly 5 connected client computer is incapable of presenting a file in its "original" format. This may require a change in the medium used to present the file. For example, where a document is created as a text file (e.g. WordTm), the file may need to be converted into an audio format for playing at a client computer (e.g. digital radio or mobile phone) which does not have a display screen. The conversion may be done at the status server or at the new client computer (or indeed at some other client computer or node).
M&C P51447GB
Claims (10)
1. A method of sharing resources over a network to which a number of active client computers are coupled, the method comprising:
5 periodically sending status information from said active client computers of the network to a central status server; at the status server, recording status information for the registered users of the active client computers; whenever a new client computer becomes active in the network, determining the 10 status information recorded for the user of the new client computer, sending the status information to the new client computer, and configuring the new client computer according to the received status information.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said status information identifies 15 changes which have been made to a desktop since status information was last sent to the status server.
3. A method according to claim I or 2, wherein the status information recorded at the central status server identifies, for each user, applications and files open on an active 20 client computer used by the user, and the status of the open applications and files.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein for a given user the status information identifies a portion of ail open file which is visible on the display of a client computer used by the user, and said step of configuring the new client computer comprises 25 opening the file on the new computer and displaying that visible portion or a part of the portion.
5. A method according to claim 3, wherein for a given user the status information identifies the location within an open file which was last accessed by the user, and said 30 step of configuring the new client computer comprises opening that file at that location.
6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein files accessible to a network user via the network are transformed from the format in which they were M&C P51447GB generated to at least one other format, and are stored on the network, wherein the same file may be accessed from different client computers having different applications and/or device configurations.
5
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein mark-up transformations are added to a file to encode it into a format readable by the different applications or different devices.
8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said format is one from the list of xml (extended mark-up language), sgml (standard general mark-up language), and htrnl (hypertext mark-up language).
9. A status server arranged in use to be coupled to a network, the status server comprising:
an input for receiving status information sent periodically from client computers coupled to the network and which are active, said status information defining the sessions currently existing at the respective client computers; a memory, and first processing means for recording status information in the memory associated with the respective client computer users; second processing means for identifying recorded status information for newly active client computers on the basis of the users of the newly active client computers; and output means for sending the identified recorded status information to the newly active client computers.
25
10. A client computer arranged in use to be connected to a network, the computer comprising:
first processing means for periodically sending status information to a central status server of the network when the computer is active on the network, the status information defining the session existing at the client computer and/or changes to the session; and second processing means for receiving status information from the central status server when the computer logs on to the network, and for configuring the computer in accordance with the received status information.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0102834A GB2364474B (en) | 2001-02-05 | 2001-02-05 | Sharing resources over a network |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0102834A GB2364474B (en) | 2001-02-05 | 2001-02-05 | Sharing resources over a network |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0102834D0 GB0102834D0 (en) | 2001-03-21 |
| GB2364474A true GB2364474A (en) | 2002-01-23 |
| GB2364474B GB2364474B (en) | 2003-04-23 |
Family
ID=9908140
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0102834A Expired - Fee Related GB2364474B (en) | 2001-02-05 | 2001-02-05 | Sharing resources over a network |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2364474B (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7739602B2 (en) | 2003-06-24 | 2010-06-15 | Aol Inc. | System and method for community centric resource sharing based on a publishing subscription model |
| US9037660B2 (en) | 2003-05-09 | 2015-05-19 | Google Inc. | Managing electronic messages |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7290278B2 (en) | 2003-10-02 | 2007-10-30 | Aol Llc, A Delaware Limited Liability Company | Identity based service system |
-
2001
- 2001-02-05 GB GB0102834A patent/GB2364474B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9037660B2 (en) | 2003-05-09 | 2015-05-19 | Google Inc. | Managing electronic messages |
| US7739602B2 (en) | 2003-06-24 | 2010-06-15 | Aol Inc. | System and method for community centric resource sharing based on a publishing subscription model |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2364474B (en) | 2003-04-23 |
| GB0102834D0 (en) | 2001-03-21 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US7114160B2 (en) | Web content customization via adaptation Web services | |
| EP1641211B1 (en) | Web server and method for dynamic content. | |
| KR100269909B1 (en) | Distributed network computing system and information exchange device/information exchange method for use in the same | |
| US6609150B2 (en) | Web client-server system and method for incompatible page markup and presentation languages | |
| US20050015406A1 (en) | Method and system for customizable client aware content selection and rendering in a portal server | |
| EP1623558B1 (en) | Accessing data in a computer network | |
| EP1360620A2 (en) | An e-business mobility platform | |
| Pilioura et al. | Scenarios of using web services in m-commerce | |
| US20050015718A1 (en) | Method and system for client aware content aggregation and rendering in a portal server | |
| US20050015474A1 (en) | Extensible customizable structured and managed client data storage | |
| US20040107244A1 (en) | Scalable and intelligent network platform for distributed system | |
| GB2364474A (en) | Sharing resources over a network | |
| EP1372320A1 (en) | Wireless LAN device storing and forwarding Internet data to a mobile terminal | |
| JP2003281030A (en) | Information providing server, information providing method | |
| US20030120803A1 (en) | System and method for mobile network access | |
| JP2001273228A (en) | Document output device and method | |
| US20050015500A1 (en) | Method and system for response buffering in a portal server for client devices | |
| US20050234923A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for translating a web services address | |
| JPH1155273A (en) | Set information registering device and method therefor and medium for recording set information registration program | |
| Di Nitto et al. | Adaptation of web contents and services to terminals capabilities: The@ Terminals approach | |
| KR20010069793A (en) | Method for providing interactive voice response(IVR) service by converting wireless application protocol(WAP)-based contents for wireless internet into voice extensible markup language(VXML)-based contents and system therefor | |
| Sadi et al. | xLink: Context Management Solution for Commodity Ubiquitous Computing Environments. | |
| JP2001251437A (en) | Method and device for information access | |
| CN103597478A (en) | Controlling the processing of a multimedia object by a software application | |
| Dørup | Wireless access to a pharmaceutical database: a demonstrator for data driven Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) applications in medical information processing. |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) |
Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20150528 AND 20150603 |
|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20180205 |