System and methods for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session

Abstract: A background protocol engine receives a recorded session, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets and representing display data. The background protocol engine determines a measure of complexity represented by at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine identifies an interval of time between the at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine modifies the interval of time, responsive to the measure of complexity represented by the at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine stores the modified interval of time. A foreground protocol engine renders the recorded stream responsive to the playback data structure. (end of abstract)

Agent: Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP - Boston, MA, US
Inventor: Richard James Mazzaferri
USPTO Applicaton #: #20060159432 - Class: 386112000 (USPTO)
Related Patent Categories: Television Signal Processing For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Processing Of Television Signal For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Compressing In Recording Or Decompressing In Reproducing, Digital Compressing

System and methods for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session description/claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060159432, System and methods for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and methods for time-warped playback and, in particular, for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Remote presentation protocols such as the ICA protocol manufactured by Citrix Systems, Inc., of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the X protocol by the X.org Foundation, the Virtual Network Computing protocol of AT&T Corp., or the RDP protocol, manufactured by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., are inherently stateful. In order to view a particular point in a stream of recorded presentation protocol data, playback of the stream must begin from the very beginning of stream and played back sequentially until the particular point is encountered.

[0003] Many conventional methods for session recording operate by taking screen snapshots periodically, and some of these increase the snapshot frequency in response to indications of potential interest gleaned from session activity. The sequences of images may be viewed as slide shows or using image collection management tools. Other methods may record to frame-based digital video formats such as MPG or AVI, and these are viewed with an appropriate media player such as Windows Media Player or the QuickTime player. Many conventional methods lack the ability to reduce review time by eliminating sections showing interactions with certain windows or applications.

[0004] Some conventional methods enable playback of recorded sessions at multiples of real-time rate. A user can choose to play back at any one of those multiples, and may change the speed multiplier during playback. However, because the user is unaware of what is about to be rendered, they are prone to turning the speed up during sections of low interest and then missing details when sections of higher interest start. Furthermore, even speeds many times faster than real time are subjectively slow when reviewing lengthy sections of insignificant user activity.

[0005] Many conventional systems attempt to optimize playback by minimizing snapshot generation to increase the speed of stream traversal. In some instances, some of these systems perform less frequent screen snapshots until significant activity is detected, and then increasing the frequency of snapshots. Some of these systems may suffer the drawback of losing state when inputs and state changes between snapshots are not captured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention provides a method for recording and playback of remote presentation protocols such as the ICA protocol manufactured by Citrix Systems, Inc., of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the X protocol by the X.org Foundation, the Virtual Network Computing protocol of AT&T Corp., or the RDP protocol, manufactured by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. The present invention reduces the time spent manually reviewing session recordings by reducing the time spent during playback rendering one or more sections of the recording where it can be algorithmically determined that the complexity of the recording or the importance of the recorded content is lower than normal. The present invention provides a directed playback, i.e. an alternative rendering of the recorded session. The invention enhances the off-screen rendering operation to generate a playback data structure that describes how to perform the directed playback, and uses that playback data structure to control the on-screen rendering process. Rather than provide solely user-selected multiples of real time, the present invention provides automatically varied context-sensitive playback rates additionally modulated by the reviewer. The present invention presents information to reviewers at an automatically chosen rate that approximates their comprehension rate.

[0007] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session. A background protocol engine receives a recorded session, said recorded session comprising a plurality of packets and representing display data. The background protocol engine determines a measure of complexity represented by at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine identifies an interval of time between the at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine modifies the identified interval of time responsive to the measure of complexity represented by the at least some of the plurality of packets in the recorded session. The background protocol engine stores, in a playback data structure, the modified interval of time. A foreground protocol engine renders the recorded stream responsive to the playback data structure In another aspect, the present invention relates to another method of automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session. A recorded session comprising a plurality of packets and representing display data is received. A first packet having a content representing a window having focus is identified, said window indicating an application. A time interval is identified between a second packet, whose contents render prior to the rendering of the content of the first packet and a third packet whose contents render after the rendering of the content of the first packet. The time interval is modified responsive to the indicated application. At least one packet in the recorded stream is rendered responsive to the modification.

[0008] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for automatic time-warped playback in rendering a recorded computer session. A protocol engine generates a playback data structure in response to receiving a recorded stream, said recorded stream comprising a plurality of packets, and said protocol engine renders at least one packet in the recorded stream responsive to the generated playback data structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other aspects of the invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description below and the appended drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which:

[0010] FIG. 1A is a block diagram depicting a client-server system suitable for practicing one embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] FIGS. 1B and 1C are block diagrams depicting embodiments of computers useful in connection with the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of the network 200 in which the present invention may be performed;

[0013] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are block diagrams depicting alternate embodiments of placements for a recorder on the network 200;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram depicting one embodiment of a system for regenerating display data represented by a protocol data stream;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting a method for recording and replaying server-generated data;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a block diagram depicting in greater detail a recorder in a system for recording display data represented by a protocol data stream;

[0017] FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a recording of a protocol data stream;

[0018] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram depicting one embodiment of the steps taken in a method for real-time seeking during playback of stateful remote presentation protocols;

[0019] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram depicting one embodiment of the steps taken to generate state-snapshots enabling real-time seeking during playback of remote presentation protocols;

[0020] FIG. 11 is a block diagram depicting a system for real-time seeking during playback of stateful remote presentation protocols;

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
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Previous Patent Application:
Optical disc for storing moving pictures with text information and apparatus using the disc
Next Patent Application:
Composite video apparatus for storing system program in hard disc drive (hdd)
Industry Class:
Television signal processing for dynamic recording or reproducing

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