Virtual Terminal State Buffering for Accurate Client Reconnection Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to maintain an accurate virtual terminal state for a client computer when no active connection is established with the virtual serial port, leading to incomplete or outdated user interface display.
Innovation Solution
A service processor maintains a virtual terminal state based on a stream of serial data received through a virtual serial port, storing this state in a screen buffer and outputting it to a client computer upon connection, ensuring an accurate user interface display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the service processor maintains a virtual terminal state in a screen buffer, then the user interface display accuracy is improved, but the memory usage and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining terminal state information selectively in a screen buffer rather than continuously transmitting all data. The service processor updates the screen buffer with terminal state information (such as cursor position, scroll position, and display content) only when changes occur, rather than maintaining continuous active connections. This localized storage approach improves display accuracy while minimizing memory consumption compared to maintaining full continuous state information.
Solution Approach 2:
The service processor performs preliminary action by pre-computing and storing terminal state information in the screen buffer before a client computer connects. When a connection is established, the stored state is immediately available for transmission, eliminating the need for real-time state computation during the connection. This preliminary preparation ensures accurate display from the moment of connection while reducing ongoing resource consumption.
2Loss of information
If the service processor continuously transmits terminal state data, then the user interface remains up-to-date, but the network bandwidth and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by transmitting terminal state data only at specific intervals or events rather than continuously. The service processor updates the screen buffer and transmits data when terminal state changes occur (such as when the cursor moves, text is displayed, or scroll position changes). This event-driven periodic transmission ensures the client computer receives complete terminal state information while minimizing network bandwidth usage and energy consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The service processor extracts only the essential terminal state information (cursor position, scroll position, display content) and stores it in the screen buffer, rather than transmitting the entire terminal state continuously. This extraction approach transmits only the necessary data elements when needed, reducing network bandwidth consumption and energy usage while maintaining complete and accurate terminal state information in the buffer for when connections are established.
3Loss of energy
If the service processor waits for active connection to output data, then network resources are conserved, but the user interface display is delayed or incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The service processor performs preliminary action by maintaining terminal state information in the screen buffer during periods when no client computer is connected. When a connection is established, the pre-computed state information is immediately available for transmission, eliminating display latency. This approach conserves network resources during idle periods while ensuring rapid, complete data transmission when needed, resolving the contradiction between resource conservation and display timeliness.
4Measurement precision
If the service processor maintains terminal state without active connection, then the user interface displays accurately upon connection, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces system complexity by implementing terminal state maintenance in a localized screen buffer within the service processor, rather than requiring complex distributed state management across multiple systems. The screen buffer stores essential terminal state information (cursor position, scroll position, display content) in a simple, structured format that is easy to update and retrieve. This localized approach maintains accurate terminal state information while minimizing the complexity of the service processor compared to more distributed or continuous state management systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A service processor, computer program product and method include various operations. The operations include receiving a stream of serial data directed to be output through a virtual serial port of the service processor, wherein the stream of serial data identifies a plurality of parameters and a value for each parameter. The operations further include maintaining a virtual terminal state based on the serial data stream in the absence of an active connection of a client computer to the virtual serial port, wherein the virtual terminal state includes a most-recently received value for each parameter, and storing and updating the virtual terminal state in a screen buffer. Still further, the operations include outputting the virtual terminal state stored in the screen buffer through the virtual serial port to a client computer in response to detecting that the client computer has formed a new connection to the virtual serial port.