JPH05119955A - Inter-device screen operation method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Sharing the display screen between terminals without depending on the software / hardware configuration inside each terminal,
The display screen can be operated directly from a remote place. [Configuration] Each terminal device 1 connected to the network 3
In addition, the interface device 2 is additionally installed. Then, the interface device 2 has a function of transmitting a display screen output from the terminal to the network to the network 3, a function of receiving and displaying a partner display screen from the network 3, and an input from the keyboard and coordinate input device of the terminal itself. It has a function of sending a signal to the network 3 and a function of receiving an input signal from the network 3 and giving it to the own terminal as an input signal from the own terminal. The user of the terminal device 1 operates the display screen of the partner terminal device by operating the own keyboard or the like while watching the received partner screen.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inter-terminal screen operation method, and more specifically, in a system in which a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network, display of one terminal device on the other terminal device at a remote location. This relates to a method of directly operating the screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a screen sharing technology between terminals, a screen control software of a terminal takes out a display command call when a screen is generated and distributes it to a terminal at a remote place so that the other party can also receive it. There is a method by software that displays a similar screen. Known products include software called Timbuktu of Farallon Inc. in the United States and a system called SharpedX also of Hewlett-Packard Company. Since the former is incorporated into the screen control software of the Macintosh personal computer, only the screen sharing between the same personal computers is possible. The latter uses the screen control software used in workstations called the X Window System,
A screen sharing function is provided by distributing display commands of the X window system among the workstations using the X window system. It is not possible to share screens when a device using different screen control software such as a personal computer or the same workstation uses screen control software other than the X window system. In order to realize screen sharing when such different screen control software is used, it is necessary to convert the distributed display command into the display command of the screen control software used by the own terminal. in this case,
If the screen management method of the screen control software is different, it is not always the case that all display commands can be converted to each other.
It cannot be guaranteed that the screen images shared between terminals will be exactly the same. Even if the same screen control software is used, the result of the character display instruction may differ depending on the terminal, because the typeface used for displaying the character differs depending on the terminal. Further, when the display command is distributed, in order to process the screen display of the other side as if it were displayed on the own terminal, it is necessary to manage the display data on the own terminal, and the memory for storing the management data is required. The amount is twice as much as the standard amount of memory of the own terminal.

[0003]

In the prior art, there is a problem that a display screen is shared between terminals using different screen control software, and the display screen of a remote terminal cannot be directly operated from the own terminal. An object of the present invention is to provide various workstations, personal computers, and the like in an environment where they are being connected via a network.
Provides an inter-terminal screen operation method that allows direct operation from a remote location by sharing the display screen between terminals without depending on the model or the software / hardware configuration inside each terminal. To do.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a system in which a plurality of terminal devices each including a display, a keyboard, a coordinate input device, etc. are connected via a network. In addition, means for sending a screen display signal to be output to its own display to the network, means for sending an input signal from its own keyboard or own coordinate input device to the network, and receiving a screen display signal sent from another terminal device from the network Then, the interface device including the means for displaying and the means for receiving the input signal sent from the other terminal device and receiving as an input signal from the own keyboard or the own coordinate input device is added.

[0005]

The display screen and the screen operation function are shared by the terminal devices by transmitting and receiving the display screen output to the own display and the input signal from the own keyboard and the own coordinate input device through the respective interface devices. The terminal user operates the keyboard or own coordinate input device while looking at the display screen of the received remote terminal to operate the display screen of the remote display as if operating the display screen of the remote terminal. Operate the screen.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using the present invention. In FIG. 1, a terminal device 1 includes a coordinate input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display, and a terminal control unit that controls these. Although a plurality of the terminal devices 1 are connected via the network 3, the interface device 2 is installed between each terminal device 1 and the network 3. The interface device 2 forms the center of the present invention, and a screen display signal (for example, an RGB display signal in the case of a color display) output by the terminal control unit of its own terminal device to the display is captured and sent to the network 3. Function, a function of receiving and displaying a screen display signal from the network 3, a function of receiving an input signal from a keyboard or a coordinate input device of its own terminal device and sending it to the network 3, a function of receiving an input signal from the network 3 , And has a function of supplying the terminal control unit as an input signal from the keyboard of the terminal device or the coordinate input device. As a result, the user of the terminal device 1 operates the display screen of the remote terminal device at a remote location by operating the own keyboard or the own coordinate input device while looking at the received display screen of the remote terminal device. You can

2 to 4 show specific examples of the configuration of the interface device 2.

FIG. 2 shows an interface device 2 according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of FIG. In this embodiment, the network 3 is assumed to be an analog color television signal network used in bidirectional CATV (cable television) or the like. The terminal device 1 includes a keyboard 11, a coordinate input device 12 such as a mouse,
It comprises a display 13 and a terminal control unit 14. Functionally, the interface device 2 has a screen transmission unit 21, a screen reception display unit 22, an input signal transmission unit 23, an input signal reception unit 24,
It is roughly divided into a network control unit 25 that controls connection of the network and a processor unit 26 that controls the entire apparatus. The screen sending unit 21 sends R to the display 13 by the terminal control unit 14.
Branching circuit 21 for branching the GB signal and taking it into the device 2
1. A scanverter circuit 212 for converting an RGB signal into a normal television signal, and a network interface circuit 21 for transmitting a television signal to the network 3.
It consists of three. The screen receiving unit 22 includes a network interface circuit 221 that converts a screen image signal received from the network 3 into a normal television signal, and a monitor television 222 that displays the received partner screen.
The input signal transmitting unit 23 inputs and outputs the input signals from the keyboard 11 and the coordinate input device 12 of the own terminal and the input signal from the partner terminal by the input device interface circuit 2
31 and a network interface circuit 212 for transmitting the input signal of the terminal itself to the network 3. The input signal receiving unit 24 is a network interface circuit 24 that receives the input signal of the partner terminal from the network 3.
1. An input signal conversion circuit 242 which converts a received input signal into an input signal of its own terminal and sends it to the input device interface circuit 231. The operation of the interface device 2 will be described below.

When the user of the terminal device 1 gives an instruction to connect to the partner terminal device, the processor unit 26 activates the network control unit 25 to connect to the partner terminal device. When not connected to the partner terminal device and when this device 2 is not operating, the branch circuit 211 is bypassed, and the RGB display signal output from the terminal control unit 14 is directly displayed on the display 1.
Sent to 3. When the connection with the other terminal device is completed,
The branch circuit 211 operates according to an instruction from the processor unit 26,
The RGB signal output of the terminal control unit 14 is taken into the branch circuit 211. The RGB display signal taken into the branch circuit 211 is returned to the display 13 as it is, and
It is sent to the scan comparator circuit 212. The scan comparator circuit 212 is for converting an RGB display signal into an NTSC signal which is a standard signal format of a television signal. This kind of circuit is usually used for the purpose of recording the workstation screen on a video recorder and can be easily implemented. Network interface circuit 21
3 is the NT given from the scan comparator circuit 212.
Converts SC signals into transmission signals specified by the network,
It is sent to the network controller 25. The network control unit 25 sends the signal given from the network interface circuit 213 onto the network 3. On the other hand, the screen video signal similarly sent from the partner terminal device is received by the network control unit 25,
Given to the network interface circuit 232,
It is converted into an NTSC signal and displayed on the monitor television 222.

When the processor unit 26 is permitted to communicate with the other party, the processor unit 26 controls the input device interface circuit 231 to receive an input signal from the keyboard 11 of the terminal itself or an input signal from the coordinate input device 12 of the terminal itself. The network interface circuit 23 without sending to the control unit 14
2 to supply. The network interface circuit 232 converts the input code information and transmits it to the partner terminal. In this way, the user can operate the display display screen of the partner terminal by operating the keyboard 11 or the coordinate input device 12 of the terminal while watching the display on the monitor television 222. Further, when the input from the other party is permitted, the input code information similarly sent from the other party's terminal is used in the network interface circuit 2
41, the input signal conversion circuit 242 converts the input code information into a keyboard input signal or a coordinate input signal of its own terminal, and sends it to the terminal control unit 4 via the input device interface circuit 231. In this way, the display display screen of the own terminal can be operated from the keyboard or coordinate input device of the other terminal.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the interface device 2 according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, two networks, a television signal network 3-1 connecting the present apparatus 2 and a data network 2-2 connecting the terminal apparatus 1, are used as the network 3, and keyboard input signals and coordinates with the partner terminal are used. Transmission / reception of an input signal is performed via the data network 3-2. In the case of the present embodiment, the configuration of the interface device 2 may include only the screen transmission unit 21, the screen reception unit 22, and the network control unit 25.
The input signal transmission unit 2 in the interface device 2 of FIG.
3. The input signal receiver can be deleted. Instead, the input virtualization unit 141 is provided in the input / output control unit 140 of the terminal control unit 14. The input virtualization unit 141 is called when an input interrupt of the terminal control unit 14 occurs, and when the input to the partner terminal device is permitted, the input signal of the keyboard 11 or the input signal of the coordinate input device 12 is used as the input code information. The data is converted and sent to the other terminal via the data network 3-2.
Similarly, when the input code information is received from the partner terminal via the data network 3-2, if the input virtualization unit 141 permits the input from the partner terminal, it causes an input interrupt to generate an input signal of its own terminal. Process as.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the interface device according to the present invention when the network 3 is a broadband digital network. In this configuration, as a display that displays the screen of the other terminal,
A monitor display 228 using RGB signals similar to the display 13 of the terminal is used. Interface device 2
Is a branching circuit 211, R that branches the RGB signal sent from the terminal control unit 14 to the display 13 and takes it into the device 2.
A frame memory 214 for accommodating a GB signal in one screen,
Output circuit 21 for periodically reading frame memory 214
5, a data compression circuit 213 that compresses the RGB signal values read from the output circuit 215, and a screen transmission unit 2 that includes a network interface circuit 217 that packetizes the compressed screen data in order to send it to the network 3.
1, a network interface circuit 223 for decomposing screen data packets received from the network 3, a data decompression circuit 224 for restoring compressed screen data to the original, a frame memory 225 for accommodating one screen of screen data, and a display frequency of a monitor. The output circuit 227 for reading out the frame memory 225, the monitor control circuit 226, the screen reception display unit 22 including the monitor display 228 for displaying the partner screen, the input signal from the keyboard 11 and the coordinate input device 12 of the own terminal, and the partner terminal. An input device interface circuit 231 for branching and synthesizing an input signal, an input sending unit 23 including a network interface circuit 232 for sending the input signal to the network 3, and a network interface circuit 241 for receiving the input signal from the network 3. Received input signal is converted to an input signal of the terminal, and an input conversion circuit 242 is sent to an input device interface circuit 231 input signal receiving unit 2
4, a network control unit 25 that controls connection of the network 3, and a processor unit 26.

Since the interface device 2 of FIG. 4 is different from that of FIG. 1 only in the internal configurations of the screen transmission unit 21 and the screen reception unit 22, the operations of the screen transmission unit 21 and the screen reception unit 42 will be described below. ..

The RGB signal taken into the branch circuit 211 of the interface device 2 is returned to the display 3 as it is and sent to the frame memory 214. The frame memory 214 stores RGB signals for one screen. . The output circuit 215 periodically reads the frame memory 214. Here, speed conversion is performed between the screen update cycle of the display 12 and the screen cycle sent to the network 3. RG read from the frame memory 214
The B signal value is compressed by the data compression circuit 216, the packet header section is added by the network interface circuit 217, and the network 3 is transmitted via the network control section 25.
Dispatched on. The screen video packet similarly sent from the terminal device on the other end is received by the network control unit 25, given to the network interface circuit 223, decomposed into packets, and then sent to the data decompression circuit 224. The data decompressed by the data decompression circuit 224 is stored in the frame memory 225 for one screen, read by the output circuit 227 according to the synchronization signal generated by the monitor control circuit 226, and output to the monitor display 228.

As described above, according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, by simply connecting the interface device 2 between the terminal control unit 14 and the display 13, the keyboard 11 and the coordinate input device 12, various terminal devices can be connected. It is possible to easily realize the screen operation function, and there is no restriction on the application program and the screen control software. Also,
Even when the input virtualization unit 141 is added to the input / output control unit 140 of the terminal as in the embodiment of FIG. 3, there is no limitation on the application program of the terminal. In this way, the shared screen can be used for various terminal devices.

Further, in the embodiment, the example in which the screen is shared by the two terminals has been described, but similarly, the display screen of a specific one terminal is distributed to two or more terminals, and an input signal from each terminal is input. It is possible to use one terminal-side display screen by a large number of users by giving the specified one to the specific one.

Further, in the embodiment, each interface device is connected to the terminal control unit. However, the terminal control unit is not connected to the present interface device, only the keyboard and the coordinate input device are connected, and the present interface device is used alone in a remote location. It can also be used as a remote terminal that is operated while viewing the screen of the terminal device.

Further, in the embodiment, the image of the screen of the other terminal is displayed on the television display or the monitor display of the interface device, but the terminal device displays the television signal from the outside or the RGB signal from the outside on its own display. In the case of having the function to perform, the screen image of the other party can be displayed on the display of the terminal device instead of using the display of the interface device.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a shared screen can be used between arbitrary terminals regardless of the model / screen control software. Therefore, using the shared screen, it is possible to easily realize an application such as teaching a user how to use the terminal from a remote place to another user and using the own terminal from a remote place.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a system using the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an interface device when a bidirectional CATV network is used as a network.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the interface device when a television signal network and a data network are used as networks.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the interface device when a wideband digital network is used as the network.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 1 terminal device 2 interface device 3 network 11 keyboard 12 coordinate input device 13 display 14 terminal control unit 21 screen transmission unit 22 screen reception display unit 23 input signal transmission unit 24 input signal reception unit 25 network control unit 26 processor Department

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which a plurality of terminal devices including a display, a keyboard, a coordinate input device, etc. are connected via a network, a screen display signal to be output to the own display is sent to the network to each terminal device. Means, means for sending an input signal from the own keyboard or own coordinate input device to the network, means for receiving and displaying a screen display signal sent by another terminal device from the network, and an input signal sent by another terminal device. An interface device consisting of a means for receiving and receiving as an input signal from the own keyboard or own coordinate input device was added, and the display device of another terminal device at a remote place could be operated from one terminal device via the network. A screen operation method between terminals characterized by.