System and Method for Effecting Simultaneous Control of Remote Computers

Abstract

The invention describes a system and methodology for controlling multiple devices simultaneously from one control device. The control device is provided with a display having a plurality of windows, each having a visual representation related to the activity of the multiple devices. By relaying commands effected at the control device through a intermediary server, it is possible to simultaneously effect a corresponding processing of the same commands at each of the multiple devices. On effecting a command the multiple devices relay back, through the server, an image representative of the result of the processing of that command to the control device for display.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A network system configured to enable simultaneous control of a plurality of target computing devices from a single viewer computing device, the system including:
 a viewer device having a display, the viewer device being configured to generate a plurality of graphical windows on the display, the viewer device being configured to be in direct communication with,   a server device, the server device being configured to be in direct communication with each of,   a plurality of client target devices, each of the plurality of target devices being configured to receive input commands from the server device and each of the plurality of target devices being configured to generate display information for forwarding to the server device, and wherein the server device is configured to receive an input effected in one of the windows of the viewer device and to replicate this input so as to provide input commands to each of the target devices and is further configured to receive the display information from the target devices resultant from the input command and relay this information for each target device to the viewer device for display as a separate window on the viewer device.   
     
     
         26 . The system as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the communication between the server device and each of the target devices is through a dedicated data socket. 
     
     
         27 . The system as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the server device has two data sockets for each target device; one socket configured for communication with the target device and one socket configured for communication with the viewer device. 
     
     
         28 . The system as claimed in  claim 27  wherein each data socket is bi-directional. 
     
     
         29 . The system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein commands relayed by the server device to each of the target devices include at least one of:
 keyboard input and supporting data,   mouse/pointer input and supporting data,   request for information about the SCT hardware setup,   request for a screenshot to be taken,   request to retrieve clipboard contents,   request to insert data into clipboard.   
     
     
         30 . The system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the communications between the devices is effected through socket connections. 
     
     
         31 . The system as claimed in  claim 30  wherein each of the devices have running thereon a multi-thread software application. 
     
     
         32 . The system as claimed in  claim 31  wherein the multi-thread software applications provide a single thread for each socket connection between the viewer device and the server device corresponding with a specific target device. 
     
     
         33 . The system as claimed in  claim 31  wherein the multi-thread software applications provide a single thread for each socket connection between each target device and the server device. 
     
     
         34 . The system as claimed in any preceding claim further including an interpretation device, the interpretation device being coupled to a database having stored therein a plurality of user predefined records, the interpretation server being configured to be in communication with the server device and being configured to receive the commands relayed from the viewer device and to provide digital image processing and database look up operations on those commands so as to interpret those commands for subsequent execution on each of the target devices. 
     
     
         35 . The system as claimed in  claim 34  wherein the interpretation device is configured to perform image segmentation and image process commands received from the viewer device. 
     
     
         36 . The system as claimed in  claim 35  wherein the interpretation device is configured to provide for optical character recognition on commands received from the viewer device so as to define recognized characters resultant from images received from the viewer device. 
     
     
         37 . The system as claimed in  claim 36  wherein the viewer device and at least one of the client target devices provide displays in different language, the server device being configured to effect a translation of the recognized characters from the viewer device into a language appropriate for the target device, the translated characters being used to effect a corresponding command on the target device. 
     
     
         38 . The system as claimed in any preceding claim being configured to operate in a mimic mode, operation of the mimic mode enabling a user at the client device to select one of the displayed windows at the client device as a controller window, with commands effected in that window being replicated across each of the target devices and the results of those commands at each of the target devices being displayed in specific others of the displayed windows on the client device, each of the specific others of the displayed windows being uniquely associated with a specific target device. 
     
     
         39 . The system as claimed in  claim 38  wherein a plurality of commands are provided, the commands provided in the form of a script, the scripts being recorded at a first instance in time and being re-playable at a later user defined instant in time. 
     
     
         40 . The system as claimed in  claim 38 , being further configured, on execution of a command in the controller, of effecting the step of recording a graphic of an area surrounding that command, the graphic being generated and stored for each interaction between the user and the controller window, and being storable at the server device. 
     
     
         41 . The system as claimed in  claim 40  being further configured, on execution of a command in the controller, of effecting the step of recording a graphic of an area surrounding that command, the graphic being generated and stored for each interaction between the user and the controller window, and being storable at the server device and wherein the system further includes an interpretation server, the interpretation server being configured during playback of the script to compare the images resultant from an execution of the commands at each of the target devices with the images resultant from the original recordal of the script. 
     
     
         42 . The system as claimed in  claim 41  wherein the interpretation server is configured, on determining that a match exists between the images resultant from the original recordal of the script and the images resultant from execution of the script, of effecting a display at the client device of a successful execution of the script. 
     
     
         43 . The system as claimed in  claim 41  further including an interpretation server, the interpretation server being configured to use the images resultant from an execution of a command at the controlling device to determine the screen co-ordinates for user input on the target devices. 
     
     
         44 . The system as claimed in  claim 38  being further configured, on execution of a command in the controller, of effecting the step of recording a graphic of an area surrounding that command, the graphic being generated and stored for each interaction between the user and the controller window, the system further including an interpretation server, the interpretation server being configured to provide an analysis of the graphics associated with each command executed on the controller window and determining an appropriate command for execution on each of the target devices. 
     
     
         45 . The system as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the determination of an appropriate command includes the step of determining an equivalent region in the window associated with each test device for application of the command executed in the controller window. 
     
     
         46 . The system as claimed in  claim 45  wherein the determination of an equivalent region is effected by performance of an optical character recognition function on the window of the test device. 
     
     
         47 . A computer implemented method of enabling simultaneous control of a plurality of target computing devices from a single viewer computing device, the method including the steps of:
 providing a first software module, the first software module being executable on a viewer device having a display, the first software module being configured to generate a plurality of graphical windows on the display,   providing a second software module, the second software module being executable on a server device and providing for communication interface between the viewer device and a plurality of client target devices,   providing a third software module, the third software module being executable on one or more of the plurality of client target devices, the second target module configured to enable each of the plurality of client target devices on which it is executing to receive input commands from the server device and to generate display information for forwarding to the server device, and   wherein execution of, and interface between, each of the three software modules provides for the transmission of an command effected in one of the windows of the viewer device through the server device for replication at each of the target devices and for generation of display information from the target devices resultant from the command and a relay of this information for each target device to the viewer device via the server device for display as a separate window on the viewer device to confirm replication of the command.   
     
     
         48 . A computer program having a plurality of individual modules which when run on one or more computing devices are configured to carry out the method steps of  claim 47 .