Virtualized Hardware Input Emulation for Mobile Application Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing application streaming technologies face challenges in providing virtual hardware inputs for mobile devices, particularly when hardware components like GPS or cellular signals are unavailable or need to be altered, as they rely on actual hardware inputs which may not always be feasible or desired.
Innovation Solution
The method involves emulating virtual hardware components on a cloud-based virtual machine, allowing for either genuine or simulated virtual hardware inputs to be provided to software applications, with the selection based on user choice or automatic determination based on device attributes and signals, ensuring seamless operation even without actual hardware inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If actual hardware inputs are used for virtualized hardware components, then the input data is genuine and reliable, but the system becomes incompatible when hardware components are unavailable or incompatible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of hardware components that can simulate hardware input signals. When actual hardware is unavailable or incompatible, the virtual machine uses these copied hardware models to generate equivalent input signals, allowing applications to function without requiring the physical hardware to be present or compatible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual hardware layer as an intermediary between the application and physical hardware. This virtual hardware component acts as a mediator that can either pass through genuine hardware signals when available or generate simulated signals when hardware is unavailable, thus resolving the conflict between reliability and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If simulated virtual hardware inputs are generated independently of hardware signals, then hardware compatibility is improved, but the input data loses authenticity and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system where the virtual hardware component can switch between two modes: using genuine hardware signals when available and generating simulated signals when hardware is unavailable. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain both reliability (when hardware is present) and adaptability (when hardware is absent or incompatible).
3Reliability
If the system requires specific hardware components to be available, then input authenticity is maintained, but the system becomes less flexible and usable across different devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the virtual hardware component universal by enabling it to handle both genuine hardware signals and simulated signals. This multi-functionality allows the same virtual hardware interface to work across different device configurations, maintaining input authenticity when possible while ensuring system flexibility and usability across diverse hardware environments.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are described herein emulating, by one or more servers on behalf of a mobile computing device, a cloud-based virtual machine. The cloud-based virtual machine may include a virtualized hardware component that provides, as virtual hardware input for a software application executing on the cloud-based virtual machine, either “genuine” virtual hardware input or “simulated” virtual hardware input. Genuine virtual hardware input may be based on an actual hardware signal received from a hardware component of the mobile computing device that corresponds to the virtualized hardware component. Simulated virtual hardware input may be generated independently of any hardware signal associated with the hardware component. Output of the software application may be interactively streamed to the mobile computing device.