Systems and methods providing a mobile zero client

A method of operating a portable computing device configured to switch between a plurality of modes that includes a wired zero client mode and a wireless zero client mode, the method comprising:

• executing, by one or more local control processors, a controller and gateway on the portable computer device to operate the portable computer device in a local mode that operates independent of a host computer remote from the portable computer device, wherein the one or more local control processors receive input from an input device during the local mode;
• receiving, by the one or more local control processors, an indication to switch from the local mode to a zero client mode that relies upon the host computer for operation;
• discontinuing, by the one or more local control processors, the local mode based on the received indication to switch to the zero client mode;
• and
• receiving, by one or more zero client processors and from the one or more local control processors, at least partial control of the portable computing device when the local mode has been discontinued and based on the indication to switch to the zero client mode, wherein the one or more zero client processors receive input from the input device during the zero client mode;
• and
• executing, by the one or more zero client processors, a zero client communication protocol with the host computer, wherein the zero client communication protocol facilitates the host computer communicating to the one or more zero client processors only display information based on a process executing at the host computer;
• and wherein,
• the indication to switch from the local mode to the zero client mode comprises an indication to switch from the local mode to a wireless zero client mode, and the method further comprising:
• operating, by the one or more local control processors, a wireless communication protocol by the controller and gateway based on the indication to switch from local mode to the wireless zero client mode,
• wherein the controller and gateway facilitates wireless communication between host computer and the one or more zero client processors during the wireless zero client mode;
• and
• receiving, by the one or more zero client processors, the display information from the host computer based on the wireless communication protocol and via the controller and gateway executed by the one or more local control processors.

A portable computing device configured to switch between a plurality of modes that includes a wired zero client mode and a wireless zero client mode, the device comprising:

• memory storage configured to store machine-readable instructions;
• one or more local control processors configured by the machine-readable instructions stored in the memory storage to:
• execute a controller and gateway on the portable computer device to operate the portable computer device in a local mode that operates independent of a host computer remote from the portable computer device, wherein the one or more local control processors receive input from an input device during the local mode;
• and
• one or more zero client processors configured, by the machine-readable instructions stored in the memory storage, to:
• establish a wired communication channel with a host computer remote from the portable computing device during a wired zero client mode, wherein the portable computing device relies on the host computer for operation during the wired zero client mode;
• execute, independent of the one or more local control processors, a wired zero client communication protocol with the host computer, wherein the wired zero client communication protocol facilitates the host computer communicating to the one or more zero client processors only display information based on a process executing at the host computer, wherein the one or more zero client processors receive input from one or more input devices during the wired zero client mode;
• receive an indication to switch from the wired zero client mode to a wireless zero client mode, wherein the portable computing device continues to rely on the host computer for operation during the wireless zero client mode;
• discontinue the wired communication channel with the host computer based on the received indication to switch to the wireless zero client mode;
• and
• cause the one or more local control processors of the portable computing device to establish a wireless communication channel between the one or more zero client processors and the host computer based on the indication to switch from the wired zero client mode to the wireless zero client mode, wherein the one or more zero client processors receives only display information from the host computer based on a process executing at the host computer via the wireless communication channel established by the one or more local control processors during the wireless zero client mode.