METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A LIGHT-WEIGHT MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE
Methods and systems provide the wireless use of a desktop computer through a lightweight long-range mobile computing device with extended battery life and no writeable or user-accessible persistent data storage, such as a hard drive, which could be detrimental if lost. In one implementation, the light-weight mobile computing does not run a full operating system, thereby reducing overhead and increasing speed. The mobile computing device provides mobility while providing access to information on a desktop computer. Since some components of conventional laptops are not needed, it may be smaller and/or have lighter weight, and provide extended battery life, while providing greater security by avoiding the risk of data loss. These systems provide a lightweight mobile wireless KVM device (e.g., a small “notebook” computing device) to connect to desktop computers. These lightweight, mobile computing devices may provide “instant on” capabilities avoiding the start up time of normal laptop computers.
1 . A data processing system having a target computer and a mobile computing device wirelessly connected to the target computer, comprising:
the target computer comprising:
a processor configured to connect the target computer with the mobile computing device over a wireless network;
a video compression component configured to receive and compress video data;
a network interface configured to send the compressed video data to the mobile computing device over the wireless network;
a persistent storage configured to store data; and
the mobile computing device comprising:
a processor configured to:
wirelessly connect with the target computer;
access the data stored in the persistent storage on the target computer; and
display the video data received from the target computer;
a wireless network interface configured to receive the compressed video data from the target computer over the wireless network;
a video decompression component configured to receive and decompress the compressed video data received from the target computer;
a keyboard;
a mouse; and
a display configured to display the video data decompressed by the video decompression component.
2 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the video compression component is a dongle physically connected to the target computer.
3 . The data processing system of claim 2 , wherein the dongle sends the compressed video data to the target computer through a USB connection.
4 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the dongle receives the compressed video data from the target computer through a DVI connection
5 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein mobile computing device is an instant-on mobile computing device.
6 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the video compression component is software.
7 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device comprises no hard drive.
8 . The data processing system of claim 7 , wherein mobile computing device comprises no writeable persistent storage of data.
9 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the compressed video is compressed and decompressed with the DVC compression protocol.
10 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network interface receives the compressed video over a Wi-Fi network.
11 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network interface receives the compressed video over a 3G network.
12 . The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the target computer is a desktop personal computer.
13 . A mobile computing device in a KVM data processing system, comprising:
a processor configured to wirelessly connect with a target computer, access data stored in persistent storage on the target computer and display video data from the target computer;
a wireless network interface configured to receive compressed video data from the target computer;
a video decompression component configured to receive and decompress the compressed video received from the target computer;
a keyboard;
a mouse; and
a display configured to display the video data decompressed by the video decompression component.
14 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device comprises no writeable persistent storage.
15 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device comprises an operating system with no user interface.
16 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the compressed video is compressed and decompressed with the DVC compression protocol.
17 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network interface receives the compressed video over a Wi-Fi network.
18 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network interface receives the compressed video over a 3G network.
19 . The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the target computer is a desktop personal computer.
20 . A method in a KVM data processing system having a mobile computing device, comprising:
connecting a mobile computing device having no writeable persistent storage with a target computer having writeable persistent storage over a wireless network;
receiving compressed video data from the target computer over the wireless network;
decompressing the received compressed video data;
displaying the decompressed video data on a display on the mobile computing device; and
accessing, by the mobile computing device, the writeable persistent storage on the target computer over the wireless network.