System and method for on-screen graphical user interface encapsulation and reproduction

Abstract

A system and method for capturing and reproducing an on-screen GUI displayed on a display device of a first computer system are described herein. According to one embodiment, a kernel level system call is invoked, and a capture area is selected. Based on the content of the capture area, display information and software information is encapsulated in a kernel space object. The kernel space object may be packaged into a file and transferred to a remote computer system for reproduction thereon or for reproduction on a second application program of the first computer system. When the content of the kernel space object is recreated on the remote computer system, a remote user is able to interact with the components of the reproduced on-screen GUI.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of encapsulating an on-screen graphical user interface of a computer system, said method comprising:
 invoking a kernel level system call on the computer system to initiate a screen capture of information displayed on a display screen of the computer system;   receiving a first user input and a second user input at the computer system, wherein on-screen positions of the first and second user input defines a geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface, and wherein further the geometric area defines a capture portion of the on-screen graphical user interface to be encapsulated; and   encapsulating an object in a system memory of the computer system based on said capture portion, wherein the object comprises information associated with the on-screen graphical user interface which is associated with a first application program, and wherein further the information comprises software and elements required for reproducing the capture portion on one of: a remote computer system; and within a second application program of said computer system.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to the kernel level system call, modifying an on-screen cursor to indicate that the capture portion of the on-screen graphical user interface to be encapsulated is to be defined. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 packaging the object stored in the system memory using a pointer; and   opening the object to reproduce the capture portion of the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program within a different on-screen graphical user interface of the computer system.   
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising packaging the object into a file on a local file system of the computer system and wherein the software and elements comprise: data; images; definition metadata of on-screen elements; positional metadata of on-screen elements; and metadata of functionality of on-screen graphical user interface elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 transferring the file from the local file system to a remote computer system; and   reproducing the capture portion of the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program on an on-screen display of the remote computer system, wherein the capture portion so reproduced is interactive with a user of the remote computer system in accordance with the first application program.   
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the kernel level system call is invoked responsive to one of: a gesture made using a touch-sensitive display; and a keystroke. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , and wherein said object is a kernel space object and wherein further the software and elements comprise: data; images; definition metadata of on-screen elements; positional metadata of on-screen elements; metadata of functionality of on-screen graphical user interface elements and an identification of said first application program. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first user input is received responsive to clicking a button of a user input device, and the second user input is received responsive to releasing the button of the user input device. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the object comprises at least one of an operating system object and a kernel space object, and wherein the object further comprises an unfold flag indicating that the object is encapsulated for execution on a remote computer system. 
     
     
         10 . A method of defining and encapsulating an on-screen graphical user interface for reproduction thereof on a remote computer system, said method comprising:
 initiating a screen capture by invoking a kernel level system call on a first computer system;   defining a geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface using an input device, said geometric area being a capture area and wherein said on-screen graphical user interface is related to a plurality of application programs;   encapsulating said capture area to create a kernel space object for the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface, wherein the kernel space object comprises a first sub-object comprising information for reproducing an on-screen graphical user interface of a first application program and a second sub-object comprising information for reproducing an on-screen graphical user interface of a second application program, and wherein at least part of the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program and at least part of the on-screen graphical user interface of the second application program are displayed within the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface; and   transferring the kernel space object from the first computer system for receipt by the remote computer system; and   wherein the kernel space object is operable to be opened on the remote computer system to reproduce the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface on a display of the remote computer system.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein a reproduced geometric area on the display of the remote computer system implements, on the remote computer system, an on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program and an on-screen graphical user interface of the second application program, and wherein further the on-screen graphical user interfaces are interactive with a user of the remote computer system in accordance with the first and second application programs. 
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising activating one or more graphical user elements of the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface reproduced on the display of the remote computer system. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the one or more graphical user elements of the geometric area reproduced on the display of the remote computer system is activated by clicking thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein opening the kernel space object on the remote computer system causes the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program and the on-screen graphical user interface of the second application program to be reproduced and interactive on a display of the remote computer system. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising packaging the kernel space object using a pointer in a system memory of the first computer system. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising packaging the kernel space object into a file on a local file system of the first computer system and wherein said first and second sub-objects respectively comprise: data; images; definition metadata of on-screen elements; positional metadata of on-screen elements; metadata of functionality of on-screen graphical user interface elements and an identification of said first and second application programs. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the kernel level system call is invoked by one of: responsive to a gesture made using a cursor directing device; and responsive to a keystroke of the first computer system. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said first and second sub-objects respectively comprise: data; images; definition metadata of on-screen elements; positional metadata of on-screen elements; metadata of functionality of on-screen graphical user interface elements and an identification of said first and second application programs. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for encapsulating an on-screen graphical user interface for reproduction on a remote computer system, said apparatus comprising:
 a display screen operable to display the on-screen graphical user interface;   a general purpose processor; and   a system memory,   wherein the general purpose processor is operable to execute instructions to:   initiate a screen capture of the on-screen graphical user interface responsive to a kernel level software system call;   identify a geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface;   create a kernel space object for the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface, wherein the kernel space object comprises a first sub-object comprising information for reproducing an on-screen graphical user interface of a first application program and a second sub-object comprising information for reproducing an on-screen graphical user interface of a second application program, and wherein at least part of the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program and at least part of the on-screen graphical user interface of the second application program are displayed within the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface; and   store the kernel space object within said system memory wherein the kernel space object is operable to be opened on a remote computer system to reproduce the geometric area of the on-screen graphical user interface.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the general purpose processor is operable to package the kernel space object using at least one of a pointer in the system memory and a local file and wherein further the on-screen graphical user interface reproduced on the remote computer system comprises the on-screen graphical user interface of the first application program and the on-screen graphical user interface of the second application program on a display of the remote computer system, and wherein further said on-screen graphical user interfaces are interactive with a user of the remote computer system in accordance with the first and second application program.