Patent ID: 7555528

Claim:
A method for generating a virtual representation of one of a plurality of local devices for a remote user access device using a template document at a remote site comprising: associating each of the plurality of local devices with respective display components at the remote site; associating each of a plurality of user access device types with respective templates documents at the remote site, wherein each of the template documents: comprises a layout including placeholders specifying an arrangement of display components, and supports the plurality of local devices; receiving a request at the remote site to access a local device from a remote user access device; determining a remote user access device type of the remote user access device at the remote site; selecting a template document associated with the determined user access device type at the remote site; retrieving at least one display component for the requested local device at the remote site; inserting the at least one display component into a placeholder of the selected template document at the remote site; generating the virtual representation for the local device using the selected template document at the remote site; and transmitting the generated virtual representation for the local device from the remote site to the remote access device.