Remote display area including input lenses each depicting a region of a graphical user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10019127-B2
Application number	US-201214375819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2012
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to a remote display area including input lenses each depicting a region of a graphical user interface. Examples include, in response to detection of a graphical user interface (GUI) input event with a remote computing device within an input lens having input focus, invoking the GUI input event at a location of the GUI of a local computing device within the region of the GUI depicted in the input lens having input focus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a local computing device to:
provide, to a remote computing device over a network, composite display information useable by the remote computing device to display a remote display area including a plurality of input lenses each depicting a respective region of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by the local computing device;
for any particular one of the input lenses, change which region of the GUI is depicted in the particular input lens without changing which region of the GUI is depicted in any other input lens;
in response to receiving, from the remote computing device, an input focus command identifying a first input lens of the plurality of input lenses, give input focus to the first input lens that displays a first region of the GUI displayed by the local computing device;
render a second input lens with a partial transparency on top of the first input lens based on the first input lens having the input focus;
in response to receiving, from the remote computing device, another input focus command identifying the second input lens, render the second input lens that displays a different second region of the GUI displayed by the local computing device with a second transparency based on the second input lens having the input focus, the second transparency less transparent than the partial transparency; and
in response to detection of a GUI input event with the remote computing device within any given one of the displayed input lenses, when the given input lens has the input focus, invoke the GUI input event at the local computing device within the region of the GUI depicted in the given input lens.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , the plurality of input lenses comprising:
a content input lens coextensive with the remote display area and depicting a region of the GUI displaying an application content area of a window of an application of the local computing device; and
a control input lens, smaller than the content input lens, depicting a region of the GUI displaying a control area of the window of the application.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the local computing device to, when the first input lens has input focus, generate the composite display information such that, if the remote display area is displayed:
the first input lens has at least one of increased size, increased scale, and decreased transparency relative to when the first input lens does not have input focus.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the local computing device to, when the first input lens has input focus, generate the composite display information such that, if the remote display area is displayed, the first input lens is larger than when the first input does not have input focus and different portions of the first input lens have different levels of transparency.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the local computing device to generate the composite display information such that, if the remote display area is displayed:
a lens icon representing a first lens area is displayed instead of the first input lens associated with the first lens area, if the first input lens does not have input focus; and
the second input lens is not displayed in response to receiving, from the remote computing device, a hiding command corresponding to the second input lens.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a display of the remote computing device has a lower resolution than a display of the local computing device.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of input lenses overlap.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the local computing device to:
send, to the remote computing device, information in response to the input focus command to cause the remote computing device to give input focus to the first input lens; and
send, to the remote computing device, information in response to the another input focus command to cause the remote computing device to give input focus to the second input lens.

9. A local computing device comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
provide, to a remote computing device over a network, composite display information useable by the remote computing device to display a remote display area including a plurality of input lenses each depicting a respective region of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by the local computing device;
for any particular one of the input lenses, change which region of the GUI is depicted in the particular input lens without changing which region of the GUI is depicted in any other input lens;
in response to receiving, from the remote computing device, an input focus command identifying a first input lens of the plurality of input lenses, give input focus to the first input lens that displays a first region of the GUI displayed by the local computing device;
render a second input lens with a partial transparency on top of the first input lens based on the first input lens having the input focus;
in response to receiving, from the remote computing device, another input focus command identifying the second input lens, render the second input lens with a second transparency based on the second input lens having the input focus that displays a different second region of the GUI displayed by the local computing device, the second transparency less transparent than the partial transparency; and
in response to detection of a GUI input event by the remote computing device within any given one of the displayed input lenses, when the given input lens has the input focus, invoke the GUI input event at the local computing device within the region of the GUI depicted in the given input lens.

10. The local computing device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
receive a selection of one of a plurality of lens profiles, each of the lens profiles specifying a number of lens areas, respective dimensions of the lens areas, and the respective locations of the lens areas relative to the GUI; and
generate the composite display information such that, if the remote display area is displayed, the plurality of input lenses are arranged in the remote display area as specified in the selected lens profile.

11. The local computing device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a memory to store the plurality of lens profiles;
wherein each of the lens profiles is associated with a respective application of the local computing device; and
wherein, for each of the lens profiles, the respective locations of the lens areas are specified in the lens profile relative to a window of the associated application.

12. The local computing device of claim 10 , wherein:
for each of the lens profiles, the respective locations of the lens areas are specified by the lens profile relative to dimensions of a frame of the GUI generated at the local computing device for display; and
the instructions are executable on the processor to select a desktop lens profile of the plurality of lens profiles if no lens profile selection is received from the remote computing device, wherein the desktop lens profile includes a lens area defining a region of th

Assignees

• Fish Keith A
• Alcorn Byron A
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Fish Keith A
• Alcorn Byron A

Classifications

• G06F2203/0383

  Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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 title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/147 Primary

  using display panels · CPC title