Custom pointer features for touch-screen on remote client devices

1. An apparatus for communication and rendering at a local client device a composite view including a cursor and a remote view associated with a remote application of a remote server, comprising:

a remote view module configured to generate the remote view of the remote application based on a display output of the remote application received at the local client device from the remote server, where a remote graphics user interface (GUI) of the remote application is deactivated in the display output of the remote application;

a local view module configured to:

generate a local GUI including a cursor, the cursor including a finger pad and a pointer;

monitor movements of a touch screen input device on a local display at the local client device;

move the finger pad and the pointer together on the local display to track movements of the touch screen input device on the local display while maintaining visualization of the finger pad and the pointer together;

receive user inputs to the cursor from the local display;

modify a color of the cursor based on the received user inputs; and

send coordinates of the pointer and the received user inputs to the remote server; and

a display module configured to provide, for the local display, a composite view comprising the local GUI and the remote view.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the finger pad of the cursor has a diameter of between 0.3 and 0.8 inches.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pointer of the cursor is between 2 and 50 times smaller than the finger pad of the cursor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pointer of the cursor is between 8 and 13 times smaller than the finger pad of the cursor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pointer is spaced apart from the finger pad so that a user can view the pointer on the local display when the touch screen input device is placed on the finger pad on the local display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local view module is configured to facilitate sending the coordinates of the pointer and a click input to the remote server when the touch screen input device taps on the finger pad on the local display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local view module is configured to facilitate sending the coordinates of the pointer and a drag input to the remote server when the touch screen input device taps and holds the finger pad on the local display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local view module is configured to pan the remote view when the user moves and holds the cursor at an edge of the remote view on the local display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cursor comprises a maximize icon, and the local view module is configured to activate a plurality of command icons for the cursor when the touch screen input device taps on the maximize icon on the local display and configured to move the plurality of command icons together with the finger pad and the pointer on the local display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of command icons are arranged around the finger pad on the local display.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of command icons include a command icon selected from the group consisting of: a keyboard activation command icon, a right click icon, a close window command icon, a switch window command icon and a screen magnification command icon.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , the local view module is configured to generate a command message when the touch screen input device taps on one of the plurality of command icons, and configured to facilitate sending the generated command message to the remote server.

13. A method for rendering at a local client device a composite view including a cursor and a remote view associated with a remote application of a remote server, comprising:

generating the remote view of the remote application based on a display output of the remote application received at the local client device from the remote server, where a remote graphics user interface (GUI) of the remote application is deactivated in the display output of the remote application;

generating a local GUI including a cursor, the cursor including a finger pad and a pointer;

providing, for a local display at the local client device, a composite view comprising the local GUI and the remote view;

monitoring movements of a touch screen input device on the local display;

moving the finger pad and the pointer together on the local display to track movements of the touch screen input device on the local display while maintaining visualization of the finger pad and the pointer together;

receiving user inputs to the cursor from the local display;

modifying a color of the cursor based on the received user inputs; and

facilitating sending coordinates of the pointer and the received user inputs to the remote server.

14. An apparatus for rendering at a local client device a composite view including a cursor and a remote view associated with a remote application of a remote server, comprising:

means for generating the remote view of the remote application based on a display output of the remote application received at the local client device from the remote server, where a remote graphics user interface (GUI) of the remote application is deactivated in the display output of the remote application;

means for generating a local GUI including a cursor, the cursor including a finger pad and a pointer;

means for providing, for a local display at the local client device, a composite view comprising the local GUI and the remote view;

means for monitoring movements of a touch screen input device on the local display;

means for moving the finger pad and the pointer together on the local display to track movements of the touch screen input device on the local display while maintaining visualization of the finger pad and the pointer together;

means for receiving user inputs to the cursor from the local display;

means for modify a color of the cursor based on the received user inputs; and

means for facilitating sending coordinates of the pointer and the received user inputs to the remote server.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with instructions for rendering at a local client device a composite view including a cursor and a remote view associated with a remote application of a remote server, the instructions comprising code for:

generating the remote view of the remote application based on a display output of the remote application received at the local client device from the remote server, where a remote graphics user interface (GUI) of the remote application is deactivated in the display output of the remote application;

generating a local GUI including a cursor, the cursor including a finger pad and a pointer;

providing, for a local display at the local client device, a composite view comprising the local GUI and the remote view;

monitoring movements of a touch screen input device on the local display;

moving the finger pad and the pointer together on the local display to track movements of the touch screen input device on the local display while maintaining visualization of the finger pad and the pointer together;

receiving user inputs to the cursor from the local display;

modifying a color of the cursor based on the received user inputs; and

facilitating sending coordinates of the pointer and the received user inputs to the remote server.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the finger pad of the cursor has a diameter of between 0.3 and 0.8 inches.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the pointer of the cursor is between 2 and 50 times smaller than the finger pad of the cursor.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the pointer of the cursor is between 8 and 13 times smaller than the finger pad of the cursor.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the pointer is spaced apart from the finger pad so that a user can view the pointer on the local display when the touch screen input device is placed on the finger pad on the local display.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions comprise code for facilitating sending coordinates of the pointer and a click input to the remote server when the touch screen input device taps on the finger pad on the local display.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions comprise code for facilitating sending the coordinates of the pointer and a drag input to the remote server when the touch screen input device taps and holds the finger pad on the local display.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions comprise code for panning the remote view when the user moves and holds the cursor at an edge of the remote view on the local display.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the cursor comprises a maximize icon, and the instructions comprise code for:

activating a plurality of command icons for the cursor when the touch screen input device taps on the maximize icon on the local display; and

moving the plurality of command icons together with the finger pad and the pointer on the local display.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of command icons are arranged around the finger pad on the local display.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of command icons include a command icon selected from the group consisting of: a keyboard activation command icon, a right click icon, a close window command icon, a switch window command icon and a screen magnification command icon.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the instructions comprise code for:

generating a command message when the touch screen input device taps on one of the plurality of command icons; and

facilitating sending the generated command message to the remote server.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the pointer is positioned adjacent to the finger pad and externally to the finger pad.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions comprise code for:

allowing the finger pad and the pointer to continue to be displayed on the local display during the sliding of the touch screen input device outside an initial position of the finger pad and the pointer.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the movements of the touch screen input device on the local display comprise sliding of the touch screen input device.