Patent Publication Number: US-2002013811-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for controlling remote client computer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a remote client computer; and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a remote client computer in which a server controls a client computer performing download and installation of a remote control program, in response to a request signal from the client computer, or one of client computers is set as a server and the other is set as a client through a repeating server managing information about the client computers, and then the server controls the client.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002] In remote control methods referred to as “PC anywhere” and “Dr. A/S”, a user should know Internet protocol (IP) address of a counterpart to which the user wants to connect. In particular, in order to perform the remote control through a telephone circuit, the user should confirm and inform to another computer to which the user wants to connect, its IP address.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for controlling a remote client computer in which a server controls a client computer performing download and installation of a remote control program, in response to a request signal from the client computer, or one of client computers is set as a server and the other is set as a client through a repeating server managing information about the client computers, and then the server controls the client.  
       [0004] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for performing a remote control of a client computer, which is applied to a remote control system, comprising the steps of: a) at a remote control server, providing a remote control program to the client computer; b) at the remote control server, allowing the client computer to connect to the remote server based on a user identification and a password of the client computer received from the client computer; and c) at the remote control server, performing the remote control of the client computer after discussing contents of the remote control through a chatting unit.  
       [0005] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control system for controlling a remote client computer, wherein the client computer is connected to a remote control server through a network, the remote control server comprising: a system monitoring unit for monitoring change on a display of the remote control server; a bitmap processing unit for generating a bitmap image based on a coordinates value of the change; a data compressing unit for compressing the bitmap image, thereby generating a compressed bitmap image; a data transmitting/receiving unit for receiving the compressed bitmap image from the data compressing unit and transmitting the compressed bitmap image to the client computer; an event processing unit for transmitting a keyboard/mouse event generated in the server to the data transmitting/receiving unit; a file transmitting unit for transmitting files necessary for the remote control of the client computer to data transmitting/receiving unit; and a chatting unit for transmitting control data to the client computer in the data transmitting/receiving unit.  
       [0006] In accordance with further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable recording medium storing instructions for executing a method for performing a remote control of a client computer, which is applied to a remote control system, comprising the steps of: a) at a remote control server, providing a remote control program to the client computer; b) at the remote control server, allowing the client computer to connect to the remote server based on a user identification and a password of the client computer received from the client computer; and c) at the remote control server, performing the remote control of the client computer after discussing contents of the remote control through a chatting unit.  
       [0007] In accordance with still further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for performing a remote control of client computers, which is applied to a remote control system, comprising the steps of: a) at a repeating server, providing a remote control program to a first and a second client computers; b) at the repeating server, determining whether the first and the second client computers are registered users based on based on user identifications and passwords received from the first and the second client computers, and allowing the first and the second client computers to enter a waiting room of a chatting unit; c) at the repeating server, informing the first client computer of an Internet protocol address of the second client computer; and d) at the first client, performing the remote control of the second client computer.  
       [0008] In accordance with still further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable recording medium storing instructions for executing a method for performing a remote control of client computers, which is applied to a remote control system, comprising the steps of: a) at a repeating server, providing a remote control program to a first and a second client computers; b) at the repeating server, determining whether the first and the second client computers are registered users based on based on user identifications and passwords received from the first and the second client computers, and allowing the first and the second client computers to enter a waiting room of a chatting unit; c) at the repeating server, informing the first client computer of an Internet protocol address of the second client computer; and d) at the first client, performing the remote control of the second client computer.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009] Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a detail diagram of a remote control server in FIG. 1;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a remote control method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a detail flow chart showing a remote control process in FIG. 3;  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 6 is a detail block diagram of a repeating server in FIG. 5; and  
     [0016]FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a remote control method in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
     [0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail referring to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0018]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, to which a remote control method is applied.  
     [0019] Referring to FIG. 1, a remote control system includes a remote control server  10 , a network  20  and at least a client computer.  
     [0020] The remote control server  10  controls the remote client computer  30  based on a request signal from the remote client computer  30 . The client computer  30  downloads and installs a program for the remote control (hereinafter, which is referred to as “a remote control program”) and then is controlled by the remote control server  10 .  
     [0021]FIG. 2 is a detail diagram of a remote control server in FIG. 1.  
     [0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the remote control server  10  includes a system monitoring unit  11 , a bitmap processing unit  12 , a data compressing unit  13 , a data transmitting/receiving unit  14 , an ir event processing unit  15 , a file transmitting unit  16  and a chatting unit  17 .  
     [0023] The system monitoring unit  11  monitors a change on a display unit (not illustrated) of the remote control server. The bitmap processing unit  12  receives a coordinates value of the change and generates a bitmap image. The data compressing unit  13  receives from the bitmap processing unit  12  and compresses the bitmap image. The data transmitting/receiving unit  14  transmits the compressed bitmap image to the client computer  30  through the network  20 . The event processing unit  15  transmits a keyboard/mouse event generated in the remote control server to the data transmitting/receiving unit  14 . The file transmitting unit  16  extracts files necessary for controlling the client computer  30  and transmits extracted files to the data transmitting/receiving unit  14 . The chatting unit  17  transmits/receives information for the remote control to/from the user of the client computer  30 .  
     [0024]FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a remote control method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0025] First, the client computer  30  downloads and installs a remote control program at step  100 , and receives a user identification (ID) and a password from the user at step  120 . When the client computer  30  is connected to the remote control server  10  at step  140 , the remote control server  10  discusses contents to be controlled with the user of the client computer, and then performs a remote control process at step  180 .  
     [0026]FIG. 4 is a detail flow chart showing a remote control process in FIG. 3.  
     [0027] A change on a display of the remote control server is monitored by the system monitoring unit  11  at step  181 . When coordinates value of the change is transmitted to the bitmap processing unit  12 , a bitmap image is generated at step  182 . The bitmap image is transmitted from the bitmap processing unit  12  to the data compressing unit  13  at step  183 , the bitmap image is compressed and transmitted to the data transmitting/receiving unit  14  at step  184 . The event processing unit  15  transmits a keyboard/mouse event generated in the remote control server to the data transmitting/receiving unit  14  at step  185 . The file transmitting unit  16  extracts files necessary for the remote control of the client computer  30  and transmits extracted files to the data transmitting/receiving unit  14  at step  186 . Control data, i.e., the compressed bitmap image, the keyboard/mouse event, the files necessary for the remote control are transmitted to the client computer  30  through the network at step  187 , and the remote control process is completed by the client computer&#39;s processing the received control data at step  188 .  
     [0028] Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail referring to FIGS. 5 through 7.  
     [0029]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a remote control system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, to which a remote control method is applied.  
     [0030] Referring to FIG. 5, a remote control system includes a network  20 , a repeating server  220  and client computers  230  and  240 . The repeating server  220  manages user information, e.g., an Internet protocol (IP) address, a user identification (ID) and a password of each user and provides a room for conversation about the remote control, which is referred to as “a conversation room”. The client computers, a first client and a second client, download a remote control program from the repeating server  220 , install it and then perform a connection to the repeating server  220 . The client computers select one of them as a server and the other as a client to be controlled by the server.  
     [0031]FIG. 6 is a detail block diagram of a repeating server to which a remote control method in accordance with the present invention is applied.  
     [0032] Referring to FIG. 6, the repeating server  220  includes a repeating server connecting unit  221 , a user authenticating unit  222 , a user database  223  and a repeating chatting unit  224 .  
     [0033] The repeating server connecting unit  221  receives user data. The user authenticating unit  222  authenticate the user based on user information stored on a user database  223  corresponding to the user data from The repeating server connecting unit  221 , e.g., a user ID and a password. The repeating chatting unit  224  transmits and receives information necessary for the remote control to/from the client computers and determines which one of the client computers is to be a server to perform the remote control.  
     [0034]FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a remote control method in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0035] The first and the second client computers download and install a remote control program after connecting to the repeating server  220  at step  300 . If the user data, e.g., the user ID and the password are inputted at step  302 , the user authenticating unit  222  of the repeating server  220  retrieves the user information based on the user ID and the password from the user database  223  and determines whether the user trying to connect is registered or not at step  304 .  
     [0036] If the user is a rightful registered user, the first and the second client computers  230  and  240  can be entered to a waiting room of the chatting unit at step  306 . If not, the process is returned to the step  300  to download/install the remote control program.  
     [0037] The first and the second client computers  230  and  240  enter a conversation room wanted to be entered at step  308 . The first client computer  230  selects a user ID of the client computers with which the first client wants to talk at step  310 . Then, the repeating server determines whether the selected client computer is connected or not at step  312 .  
     [0038] If the selected client computer is not connected, the process repeats the step  310  to select a user ID. If so, the first client computer transmits a connection request data at step  314 , and determines whether a connection is allowed or not at step  316 . Hereinafter, for easy description, a user, which wants to be connected, is referred to a second client computer  240 . If the connection is allowed, the repeating server  220  transmits an IP address of the second client computer to the first client computer and performs the connection for the remote control at step  318 , then the first client computer  230  performs a remote control process of the second client computer at step  320 . In other words, the first client computer  230  is the subject of the remote control and the second client computer  240  is the object of the remote control.  
     [0039] The remote control process at step  320  is similar with the remote control process mentioned above with reference to FIG. 4 except that the subject of the remote control is not a remote control server but the first client computer and the object of the remote control is the second client computer  240 . Therefore, for only easy description, detailed description about the remote control process will be skipped.  
     [0040] In the remote control system in accordance with the present invention, the remote control server performs the remote control w based on the connection request signal received from the client computer performing download/install of the remote control, or performs the remote control through the repeating server managing the user information of the client computers. Therefore, using the present invention, processes for the connection can be effectively reduced. Even if there is no remote control server, the remote control can be performed.  
     [0041] Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.