Method and system for providing remote control from a remote client computer

Abstract

A method and system for remotely controlling a device via a computer network is provided. A client computer generates a client difference program indicative of a change of a state of the device last received from a server computer and transmits the same to the server computer. Upon receipt, the server computer executes the client difference program and determines an updated state of the device, generates control data indicative of the updated state of the device, provides the control data to the device, and generates and transmits a server difference program having encoded a difference between the state of the device and a state of the device last transmitted to the client computer. The client computer executes the server difference program for updating the state of the device last received from the server computer and for displaying the same in a human comprehensible fashion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing remote control of a device, comprising:
 providing a remote connection to a server computer accessible by a client computer, the server computer being in communication with a control program that controls the device by communicating control data over a control communication link;   communicating, by the remote connection, a difference program containing data representing a change in a state of the device made by the client computer or the control program, the difference program capturing changes in the state of the device since the state of the device was last received by the server computing device or the client computing device; and   communicating, in accordance with information in the difference program, the control data to the device over the control communication link; and   synchronizing the state of the device using the difference program between the control program and the client computer.