Method and system for enabling interaction with a plurality of applications using a single user interface

• US 10,055,105 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
• Inventors: Holmes, Colin John, Thomas, Monroe Milas, Lehmann, Glen, Lemire, Pierre Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/872,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 715763-765, 715740, 715748, 715780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An example method for providing simultaneous interaction with a plurality of application programs is described herein. The method includes providing a remote access framework for enabling a client to remotely access the application programs over a network, receiving a communication from the client through the remote access framework, and maintaining a state model within the remote access framework. The state model includes respective application states of the application programs. The method also includes, using the state model, linking interactive functionalities of the application programs, and generating display data indicative of a single user interface including the plurality of application programs. The method further includes communicating the display data to the client through the remote access framework.

Claims

1. A method for providing recombination of a plurality of application programs, comprising:

providing a remote access framework for enabling a client to remotely access the plurality of application programs over a network, the plurality of application programs running on at least one server;

receiving a communication from the client through the remote access framework, the communication requesting access to the plurality of application programs;

maintaining a state model within the remote access framework, the state model comprising respective application states of the plurality of application programs;

using the state model, linking interactive functionalities of the plurality of application programs;

using the state model, generating display data indicative of a single user interface including the plurality of application programs; and

communicating the display data to the client through the remote access framework.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input data from the client through the remote access framework;

using the state model, determining an association of the user input data to a respective interaction zone; and

providing the user input data to at least one of the plurality of application programs associated with the respective interaction zone through the remote access framework.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving application program data from the at least one of the plurality of application programs through the remote access framework, the application program data being in dependence upon the user input data, wherein the display data is generated in dependence upon the application program data for displaying the application program data using the single user interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input data are simultaneously provided to the at least two of the plurality of application programs associated with the single interaction zone.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving first application program data and second application program data from a first application program and a second application program, respectively, through the remote access framework, wherein the display data is generated in dependence upon the first application program data and the second application program data for displaying the first application program data and the second application program data using the single user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the display data are generated for simultaneously displaying the first application program data and the second application program data using the single user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input data from the client through the remote access framework;

using the state model, determining an association of the user input data to first application program data associated with a first application program and to second application program data associated with a second application program; and

providing the user input data to the first and second application programs, wherein the first and second application program data are modified according to the user input data.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the association of the user input data to the respective interaction zone is determined based on a location of the respective interaction zone on a graphical display image of the client.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the association of the user input data to the respective interaction zone is determined in a pixel-wise fashion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive functionalities are a subset of a plurality of functionalities of at least one of the plurality of application programs.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for recombination of a plurality of application programs that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

provide a remote access framework for enabling a client to remotely access the plurality of application programs over a network, the plurality of application programs running on at least one server;

receive a communication from the client through the remote access framework, the communication requesting access to the plurality of application programs;

maintain a state model within the remote access framework, the state model comprising respective application states of the plurality of application programs;

using the state model, link interactive functionalities of the plurality of application programs;

using the state model, generate display data indicative of a single user interface including the plurality of application programs; and

communicate the display data to the client through the remote access framework.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive user input data from the client through the remote access framework;

using the state model, determine an association of the user input data to a respective interaction zone; and

provide the user input data to at least one of the plurality of application programs associated with the respective interaction zone through the remote access framework.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive application program data from the at least one of the plurality of application programs through the remote access framework, the application program data being in dependence upon the user input data, wherein the display data is generated in dependence upon the application program data for displaying the application program data using the single user interface.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user input data are simultaneously provided to the at least two of the plurality of application programs associated with the single interaction zone.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive first application program data and second application program data from a first application program and a second application program, respectively, through the remote access framework, wherein the display data is generated in dependence upon the first application program data and the second application program data for displaying the first application program data and the second application program data using the single user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the display data are generated for simultaneously displaying the first application program data and the second application program data using the single user interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive user input data from the client through the remote access framework;

using the state model, determine an association of the user input data to first application program data associated with a first application program and to second application program data associated with a second application program; and

provide the user input data to the first and second application programs, wherein the first and second application program data are modified according to the user input data.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the association of the user input data to the respective interaction zone is determined based on a location of the respective interaction zone on a graphical display image of the client.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the association of the user input data to the respective interaction zone is determined in a pixel-wise fashion.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the interactive functionalities are a subset of a plurality of functionalities of at least one of the plurality of application programs.